Hench is in-shops June 16th.

Take the last train to Clarksville, and I'll meet you at the station.

I very much enjoy readers’ interpretations of Brian Wood and Becky Cloonan’s Demo. It’s interesting to me, personally, that most audience members find the various snapshots of Demo so compelling that it seems, to me at least, that many readers are missing the lemon because of the meringue. Many folks who should ostensibly know better get fixated on the what-happens-then or the but-what-about-the or the he-didn’t-take-responsibility or whatever. Me, I think they’re not getting the fact that the story is the story. You’re on the bus, or you’re not. No need to blame the bus.

One of the big dangers of being a writer is that you can’t stop the ideas from coming. The whole BUT WHAT HAPPENED THEN thing we hear from folks who are paying attention to Demo made me think of this thing about my favorite flick. Sometimes, you get an idea you can’t do anything with. This is one of them, so enjoy:

Were I to think overmuch about it, I could detail the adventures of the crew of the first interstellar mapping mission to Alpha Centauri, and the political and personal byplay between the administrators of the American National Space Agency…



…and the headstrong crew of that first mission. How Robert Landon and George Taylor first develop their personal animosity for each other (stemming from jealousy, of course, between the two men for the tender attentions of Catherine Stewart [ship's navigator as well as daughter of the Agency's top administrator, the crusty Bob Stewart]), and how Johnson Dodge joins the crew in the last stages of training when the crew's original mission scientist is killed in a transport accident. Just tell a straightforward tale about the political machinations of the first American interstellar voyage…

BEFORE THE PLANET OF THE APES

…but, you know (besides me), who cares? That’s not the story. The story really starts when the monkeys start shooting people with rifles.

The past is prologue, like the man says. The thing that makes Planet of the Apes so damn cool is not the astronauts-in-trouble aspect of the tale, but the talking-money thing. The astronauts, and their personal relationships just do not matter. The STORY begins when the guys hit the post-apocalyptic nightmare…

And so it is with every Demo. Before and after just does not matter. The story is the story. You are on the bus or you are not. Just deal; it’s OK. We’re here for you.

Demo #7 is in stores now, and Dorian and Mike are getting the word out.

Don MacPherson calls Demo a "landmark series" which just gave me a grin, I can tell you.

"Scurvy Dogs is a necessary injection of manic weirdness into the comics industry, and always a welcome sight on the stands." 10/10 says Randy Lander, and I could not agree more.

I have it on good authority that Tim O'Neil returns to blogging on Monday, so fire up your keyboards.

...and check out Loose Cannon #8 (from March 2, 2001), wherein I tell you what makes a good comic.

Yeah, Brandy used to watch his eyes/When he told his sailor stories/She could feel the ocean fall and rise/She saw its ragin' glory/But he had always told the truth, Lord, he was an honest man/And Brandy does her best to understand

Johnny B does the good deed and doesn't give up trying to buy the latest Demo which pays off when he gets his local guy to carry some rack copies. It's this kind of thing happening nationally that's put orders for #8 up around those for #1. So we got that going for us. Which is nice.

Dave Fiore sees some sort of anti-woman "pattern" in the Demo series based on events in issue #7 and, to a lesser degree, in #4. Now, leaving aside that I'm not sure that two data points constitute a pattern, how come Dave doesn't see the human challenges faced in each issue by each set of characters, but rather sees only a gender-agenda? I guess we should just be happy he's not doing some kinda cockamamie "chick-check" ...

So if you're leaning like Johnny Bacardi and want to tell your retailer that you want more of this Demo thing the kids are all buzzing about, lay this pdf file on him, which contains the order codes for the first eight issues. And if you're coming down more on the Dave Fiore side, remind yourself that while it's dudes writing and lettering Demo, it's dames what draw and publish it, making that chick-check thing 50/50.

...and check out Loose Cannon #7 (from February 23, 2001), which features Why I Love Comics, and has a bonus little diatribe about the Kryptonite bike lock people.

How 'bout the power of flight? That do anything for you? That's levitation, homes

Discussion on Demo #6 continues over at Sean T. Collins' blog. Fortunately, Demo #7 is in-shops today, and people can start talking about John and how he addresses his responsibility, and bid adieu to poor Ken and his zombie dog. Comics is nothing if not a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately kinda biz.

Abel and Electric Girl Volume Two are examined by the gracious Laura Gjovaag, who has some kind words for Electric Girl #10 as well as spreading the Scurvy Dogs gospel.

John Jakala throws a shout-out, and mentions the Demo patch, still available from the redoubtable Bri Wood, at his store.

Speaking of Demo, click the link for Kevin Melrose's advance review of issue #7. Did I mention it's in-shops today?

Planet of the Capes is lauded thusly in Vampirella Magazine #5, in-shops June 16th:

The first thing you have to realize with Planet of the Capes is "that's the point." Finishing it will leave you hanging. ("That's the point.") The character who should be a beacon of light, isn't. ("That's the point.") Like the book itself says: "Nobody learns anything; everybody dies." That's the point.

Young's commentary on superhero comics is pleasantly masked in a superhero comic. He approaches the myth of power and substance by stripping it down to bare essentials and showing the naked emperor underneath. If, for over 60 years, these heroes have done the same thing, faced the same evil, reacted the same way, why hasn't anyone learned a new trick?

One personal favorite exchange, in the midst of battle, shows The Grand turning to the raven-inspired Justice Hall, saying, "Hey, chum; let's rap about the problem with the refrigerator." To which the Justice replies, "I told you I'd take care of it. The thing's still under warranty." See? That's the point.

McKinney does a beautiful job capturing the essence of superhero comics, especially in the explosive color section re-telling the origin of The Schaff.

What's funny, of course, is that as you read Capes you'll know each piece of the story, you'll recognize the characters and their powers and their motivations. You'll know how it should turn out. But it doesn't go that way. And that's the point.

...and if Loose Cannon #6 proved anything, it was that I could make anything relate to a discussion about comics.

Number one with a bullet, I'm a power pack

The latest artist to join the Proof of Concept roster is Jeff Johns, out of Salt Lake City. That guy can draw! Hit the promo image below to check out his virtuoso performance on last week's script:



...and then enjoy this link to Loose Cannon #5, from February 9, 2001, where, amongst other things, you can see where the name "Schaff" came from in Planet of the Capes.

People see you having fun/Just a-lying in the sun/Tell them that you like it this way/It's the work that we avoid/And we're all self-employed/We love to work at nothing all day

Check out this quick interview with Becky Cloonan and dig on the five-page preview of Demo #7, in-shops this Wednesday.

Also, Loose Cannon #4, from February 2, 2001, where I talk about company identity for comic book retailers.

It's a Sammy Hagar weekend; a Sammy Hagar state of mind

Dave Fiore chews over yet another aspect of Demo #6. I personally can't wait, as one of the world's biggest Demo fans, to see what he has to say about the next issue.

Garrett Dwyer gives you a sneak peak at his feelings about Demo #7 at his blog technocratic. Demo #7 is in-shops June 9.

Johnny B comes clean and admits he'd read one of our books before: Electric Girl. Sleep the sleep of the just Senor Bacardi; EG wasn't one of ours until we started in on the trades...

...and a link to Loose Cannon #3, from January 26, 2001, where I tell my nose-broken-in-the-LA-riots story, and make it all seem like I'm talking about spacesuits and comics. Ah, LOOSE CANNON: how I miss you.