Locust Moon

LET’S MAKE THIS SIMPLE…

YEAH, THAT’S PRETTY COOL

This past Friday night, we had to say goodbye to @locustmooncomics’ beautiful shop.

A few weeks beforehand, Rafer Roberts (@plasticfarm) suggested the idea of making some kind of tribute comic as a surprise gift for the Locust Moon boys, with a riff on Goodnight Moon, and I don’t think he knew just how seriously I’d take that challenge. It was an immediate frenzy of sending emails, writing the book’s poem, calling in half a dozen favors… and this beautiful beast came together.

We’re not ones to say goodbye, so instead, we said “good night” to Josh and Chris’ magical store - where I spent so many days and nights meeting incredible creators, hung out with my favorite people, and was only a drunk stumble away from my front door - with the help of so many generous, fabulous people. We love you boys, so here’s to your next adventure!

Please enjoy Goodnight Locust Moon.

Single Issues/One-Shots/Graphic Novels

Someone’s best is always someone’s worst, so in that regard, here’s MY favorite comics of 2015. Do check em out!

Shaman

By Ben Kahn and Bruno Hidalgo

Published by Locust Moon Press

Superhero comics done weird. Kinda like Umbrella Academy or Street Angel, but a lot darker and funnier.

Junction True

By Vince Lock and Ray Fawkes

Published by Top Shelf Productions

Nihilistic futurist epic about body modification, love and death. With Vince Locke providing gorgeously dark watercolor painted pages, this is the book for all goths, punks and dark hearted individuals.

Butter & Blood

By Steven Weissman

Published by Retrofit Comics

I might be a little biased since Steven Weissman is one of my all time favorite comics makers, but this collection of his odds and ends is a marvel in so many ways. His art is eclectic and his humour dry and dark, I love this book!

I Hate Fairyland #1

By Skottie Young

Published by Image Comics

Colorful insanity all balled up in a tormented little girl on a killing spree! What more could you ask for from a comic book adventure?! Young’s art is hitting on all cylinders in this issue. The manicness is enrapturing and the sheer weirdness of this concept is everything I could ask for from a fairytale!

Trashed

By Derf

Published by Abrams Comics Art

One of the most entertaining and informative comics I’ve ever read. Done with humor and intelligence beyond compare. Derf’s signature art has also never been better. Pure brilliance on display here!

The Age of Selfishness

By Darryle Cunnigham

Published by Abrams Comics Art

The world right now is a messed up place in so many ways. Darryl Cunningham makes a good point that much of our problems lies in our pursuit of money, stuff and whatever reaffirms our own beliefs. With deep philosophical and economical points, Cunningham lays out a genius case for all the problems that ail us as a society. A truly brilliant and heady read, it’s forever one of my favorite comic books.

Last Mountain #2

By Dakota McFadzean

Published by Birdcage Bottom Books

A story of youth, bullies and rebellion. The main character is a damaged soul with problems at home and with his own mental issues. He’s not a sympathetic character necessarily, but this is still an involving read. Deep stuff, well drawn, definitely one of the best single issues I’ve read this year.

Kaijumax #1

By Zander Cannon

Published by Oni Press

The giant monster genre done in a whole new way! Collected into a massive prison to keep humanity protected, yet the monsters get involved in all kinds of prison drama, reminiscent of our popular human procedural dramas. Quite the interesting concept and features just gorgeous art by Zander Cannon. This first issue just blew me away!

Alex & Ada #13

By Sarah Vaughn and Jonathan Luna

Published by Image Comics

While I adored this entire series, issue 13 was the one that hit me the hardest. While on the surface this story was about a young man falling in love with an A.I. Robot, underneath there was so much subtle depth. This issue brought all that subtlety to the surface and I will admit, I cried a bit. Refugees, racism, prejudism, sexism, it’s tough stuff. This series was so powerful on so many levels, so while #13 was a super sad issue, the series overall did end happily.

BPRD: Hell on Earth #136

By Mike Mignola, John Arcudi, Dave Stewart and Laurence Campbell

Published by Dark Horse Comics

Top Selling comiXology Submit Titles 12/18

The Force is strong this week as the our our neighbors from the north grab the top two spots in this week’s @comixology Submit Top Selling List, with Captain Canuck #6 and The Secret Loves of Geek Girls. If you haven’t had a chance to try the series from the superstar team of  Kalman Andrasofsky and Leonard Kirk, nows your chance, as the first story arc concludes. @hopelnicholson successfully funded The Secret Loves of Geek Girls through Kickstarter and recently announced that Dark Horse will be publishing a variant version of the anthology in October 2016.

Locust Moon Press is back again this week with their landmark collaboration between the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Eisner-winning minds behind Little Nemo: Dream Another Dream. Legendary writers and artists team up to present their interpretations of the timeless tale of Prometheus’ gift of fire featuring works by Grant Morrison, Paul Pope, Dave McKean, Bill Sienkiewicz, Farel Dalrymple, Yuko Shimizu and David Mack.

And finally Natasha Alterici’s break out Viking epic: Heathen returns! The story of a young Viking woman on a mission to end the tyrannical reign of god-king Odin during a time of warfare, slavery, and the subjugation of women is not to be missed and Natasha Alterici is a creator to watch.

“Amazing… Powerful, grounded fantasy with a feminist angle.” — Joshua Hale Fialkov, Eisner, Harvey, and Emmy award nominated writer of Elk’s Run, The Bunker and Tumor

Captain Canuck (2015-) #6 — @captaincanuckinc

The Secret Loves of Geek Girls — @hopelnicholson

Atomic Robo and the Ring of Fire #4 — Tesladyne

Prometheus Eternal — @locustmooncomics

Heathen #4 — Literati Press

Tarot, Witch of the Black Rose #41 — Broadsword Comics

Monster World #1 — @americangothicpress

Spirit Leaves #1 — Chapterhouse Comics

Leaving Megalopolis — @gailsimone & Jim Calafiore

Summons #1 — Think Alike Productions 

Top Selling Submit Titles

Now go see Star Wars: The Force Awakens!

Noah van Sciver + Josh Bayer (Josh dressed as the Yellow Kid)

Alexander Rothman 

Just got back from Halloween weekend in Philadelphia and Locust Moon Fest! Lots of seeing good folks, lots of meeting good folks, the truly unique space that is the Rotunda, and lots and lots of incredible Philadelphia. This year, I had the fantastic honor of talking about “drawing from life” on a panel with Dean Haspiel and Craig Thompson (moderated by Kelly Phillips of Dirty Diamonds, aka Futurama’s M.O.M., as she is on Halloween). A really interesting discussion that I only wish lasted longer, as you find out so much and it’s always a shame they end at the hour. Especially when they’re in the LM shop (with some rather distracting art on the walls and an empress cat).

In other crazy news, Locust Moon and the Philadelphia Museum of Art paired up to host a drink and draw in honor of their other recent collaboration, Prometheus Eternal - a comic celebrating the Prometheus legend and the Rubens’ painting currently on display. My smartass art history comic based on curator Atkins’s essays is on view in the gift shop! 

Ron Wimberly, Bill Sienkiewicz, Greg Benton

Spent a great evening meeting the cool folks who work at the museum.

David Mack, Craig Thompson, Christa Cassano, 75% of dapper Josh O’Neill.

Alexander Rothman and me, thanks to Greg Benton

David Mack’s amazing. Just look at that.

Craig Thompson’s drawings.

Once again (like the time I thought Neil Gaiman was a guy cosplaying Neil Gaiman) I’m terrible at recognizing people. Drew this lovely guy inking portraits of everyone and then realized he was Craig Thompson. Who is incredibly thoughtful and nice and whose work’s been a huge inspiration. 

Drew a lot of jam comics for folks who were there, including this art history joke about a rich collector hanging a bloody crucifixion painting in his dining room.

Alexander Rothman drew Kelly Phillips in her MOM costume (with concealed jumpsuit!)

The first prompt.

Locust Moon Afterparty with the last fish standing in their tank (it ate everyone else).

Afterparty drawjam with Alexander Rothman, Daryl Seitchik, Greg Benton (phantom hand), and me.

More custom sketches, for Richard + Kathy.

Another year, another great Locust Moon Comics Festival. Once again held in Philadelphia’s rotunda, where the paint-chipped walls give way to a massive organ that is likely filled with dust and spiders - a perfect spot for a Halloween show.

I got to Philly early on Friday to help with the set-up before checking in to my weirdest Air B&B to-date: a completely empty apartment except for a bed and a nightstand. No curtains or blinds on the window, no soap in the bathroom, no couch to relax on. Obviously, I wasn’t going to be spending too much time in this place.

I headed on over to the Drink & Draw at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Met some new folks but also saw many of my comic friends. It was crazy standing back and watching Chris Claremont, Craig Thompson, David Mack, Bill Sienkiewicz, Dean Haspiel, Ronald Wimberly, Gregory Benton, and others sit around a table and sketch Kelly Phillips dressed as mom from FUTURAMA but that’s what happens at a Locust Moon show.

After the Drink & Draw, Rafer Roberts and I went to watch the World Series. We drank a bit and made up a comic called President True Love and it’s the greatest comic you’ll never read. Oh well.

The show itself was wonderful - I sold out of my copies of ARTISTS against POLICE BRUTALITY in about three or four hours and then just decided to coast and have fun with the rest of my time. I sat next to Craig Thompson who showed up at around 3PM or so and that was a real treat.

Back in the early-2000s, it was books like Thompson’s BLANKETS that didn’t just get me back into reading comics but made me want to make comics. Once Thompson’s line calmed down I even told him that. He thanked me, and said that he heard of COLONIAL COMICS. In my head I was saying, “Awww…Craig…you’re so sweet. There’s no way you ever heard of this book.” But then he reminded me that we were both currently in Whitman College’s comics gallery show (Colonial Comics has its own alcove at the show). I don’t think I’ve ever been as proud of my work as I was at that moment. 

Craig signed a copy of SPACE DUMPLINGS for my niece…

…did a sketch for Matt Dembicki’s son…

…and even honored me with a #sadfight…

To say that he is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met is an understatement.

After the show was the after party, where beer and wine flowed all night and eventually all of the guests got to drawing. It started with a Dean Haspiel vs. Rafer Roberts Darkseid vs. Thanos draw-off and then instantly turned into a battle to see who could draw the best uncircumcised penis.