Sybil the Backpack Fairy 4

 

Sybil 4_Page_1Written by Michel Rodrigue
Illustrated by Antonello Dalena and Manuela Razzi
Coloured by Cecilia Giumento
Translation by Joe Johnson
Letters by Tom Orzechowski
Associate Editing by Michael Petranek
Editing in chieferizing by Jim Salicrup
Published by Papercutz

the three cents.
The newest of the jumbo-sized issues of Sybil the Backpack Fairy has Nina and her fairy friend suffer the selfish machinations of Nina’s bow-headed, lil miss perfect classmate Laurie and Laurie’s own fairy friend Amanite. There’s a new boy in school whose presence unintentionally escalates Laurie’s spite towards Nina, unleashing Amanite’s black magics to further disrupt Nina’s life. But our heroine doesn’t go down easy, especially when thrown through different points in time itself.

Rodrigue writes a wonderful story, with a core theme in this issue being to abstain from violence in favor of using ones wits. Which is always a brilliant message to pass on to young readers…and us older folk as well. I especially enjoy how as fantastic as the setups can get, there is still some grounding in reality, as seen here in Nina’s family still enjoying its newfound reuniting from last issue, as well as the suggestion that Sybil once had a dashing love affair with Ramses II. There’s a lot of subtext to this series, allowing it to genuinely work on multiple levels. Much of that is due entirely to Rodrigue’s obvious skill with scene construction and wordplay.

And the art is so intricate, so full of detail to go with its charismatic personality. The pages hold a very animated look and feel, but these artisans cram so much depth into the scenery, such as the oodles of fun references found in a costume party figuring prominently in this plot. Orz has a tighter style here than what he is generally known for, and works wonders at keeping the storytelling precise, while Giumento’s hues are downright angelic. I recall comments from an interview in a comics magazine years ago about the great colorist Lovern Kindzierski having to struggle to make sens of the at times crazy lines from artist Keith Giffen. As lush with details is the fantasy setting of this story, Giumento is accomplishing a very comparably Herculean task, and she is rocking it.

This is a gentle comic tale, of a young girl sharing a really fun and secretive but adventurous life that incorporates elements of history, mythology, and even Shakespeare. It is light-hearted and breezy, with some fun character dynamics and more than a little earnestness. And again, it offers solid moralistic messages well worth passing on.

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Midwifed by nilskidoo - 09/06/13 - 0 comments

Annoying Orange 2

 

Annoying2_CoverCreated by Dane Boedigheimer
Written and illustrated by Mike Kazaleh and Scott Shaw!
Letters by Tom Orzechowski
Colours by Laurie E. Smith
Associate Editing by Michael Petranek
Editing in chieferizing by Jim Salicrup
Cover by uncredited, but likely Shaw!
Published by Papercutz

the three cents.
In this gripping volume of inorganic life on the move, readers are thrown into the maelstrom of a collection of shocking tales, tales so shocking that readers will be shocked. Ranging from one-pagers to more than one-pagers, this kaleidoscopic cacophony of madness leers back at the reader, just as the abyss gazing back at the philosophy student on a freshman beer bender when he should be returning long-distance calls to his poor mother who is eager to know how his classes are going and if he’s getting enough to eat.

Shaw! handles the writing and artwork for the majority of the stories, with Kazaleh swinging writing and art for the lengthy title feature, and the both of them operating on a slightly reined-in level of humor than the previous volume, as though the guilt of what they are constructing in these pages is weighing in on their consciences. They also work on the Annoying Orange animated series from Cartoon Network, which itself spun-off from the popular youtube web-serial, and so we must ask ourselves what manner of arcane malfeasance (as opposed to the non-arcane variety of malfeasance) possesses two grown men of reasonably high intelligence and exceptionally high artistic merit to obsess so much over these quipping imaginings of such unnatural things envisioned and given form like so? Self-moving fruit applying for work in the entertainment industry? In the breakfast foods industry? Going on diets, soulless beings though they are? These edible things bear no hands, no feet, and yet they persist on making their human keeper’s love-life imperceptible! In these pages are these little monstrosities even allowed to openly interfere with the time-space continuum! What sort of message is this to send out for younger readers? That imagination is something to treasure, to cultivate? Well actually…that’s really pretty cool.

By the books professionalism in Orzechowski’s lettering and a seamless flow of rainbow hues from Smith help add to the consistency of the book’s two authors. And the overall comedy really contains nuggets for just about any and every age-group obliged to pick up a copy. It’s a fun read, honestly.

As typical for the publisher, this issue clocks in at over 60 pages, and comes with a mass of extras, from a fun introduction presenting the illustrated versions of the cast alongside their digitally-manipulated photo counterparts and side by side with a narration that is laugh out loud for the older comic fans especially, to tongue in cheek bios for the creators of the characters and the comics. Also in the mix is the standard editorial from Salicrup where he banters with the star of the show. Salicrup has always held a strong editorial presence in everything with his name on it, and the pieces he writes for Papercutz books are without fail tailor-cut for the issues they appear in, playing into the personality of that particular title and making the reader feel like a part of it all. It’s really a nice touch carried over from days long gone by that very few other editors nowadays bother with. One of the reasons why I will gladly continue reviewing Papercutz. That and for throwing steady work to heavy-weight talents like Shaw! and Kazaleh.

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Midwifed by nilskidoo - 19/05/13 - 0 comments

Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew 2

 

ClueCrew2-COVWritten by Sarah Kinney
Illustrated by Stan Goldberg
Letters by Tom Orzechowski
Colours by Laurie E. Smith
Associate Editing by Michael Petranek
Editing in chieferizing by Jim Salicrup
Published by Papercutz

the three cents.
The second graphic novella-sized issue (a staple for Papercutz) of the new Nancy Drew series continues its offbeat sleuthing as the young girl and her classmates attend an art museum for the day as a class field-trip. But the Clue Crew trio of Nancy and her friends George and Bess take little time in stumbling into a new mystery concerning the sand art exhibit soon to finish up. The employment of a well-meaning custodian is on the line, as some unseen hand has scattered a sizable portion of the mandala.

With this issue Kinney takes over the full writing chores, and she does a very commendable effort in portraying this younger Nancy and the colorful cast of many characters that surround her. This is more the case of piecing together strange circumstances rather than an actual mystery, but it is just the right dilemma for a pack of highly literate grade school girls to resolve. The story actually works well on several levels, as the Buddhist monk befriends the girls and introduces them (and the readers) to aspects of his faith running alongside the core thread of ascertaining the damage to the art while working around the bothersome curator. The verbal interplay between Nancy and the old man is especially fun and ironic, with the girl oblivious to how obnoxious her good intentions can present themselves as being. There are a great many humorous moments in the story, and engaging dialogue is certainly a skill for Kinney.

Goldberg, busy though he is, seems to really be applying a lot of effort to set this book apart visually from his massive catalog of previous work, as well as anything else currently on the newsstands. I see this most in how he is drawing the faces now, but also in how the scenes are given an increasingly three-dimensional feel in structuring. And as this chapter’s narrative is set in a museum, he fills the backgrounds with layers of candy for the eyes, casually using his expert line work to give energetic forms and figures to this world while maintaining a thorough consistency rarely if ever matched in too many other comics today. This man innovates more than kids a third his age, and makes it look so easy! Smith as well fully exploits the setting of the story, working in a variety of effects to make the pages even prettier than Goldberg’s layouts and execution pull off. This is a great team, and with the always solid Tom Orz completing the picture this series just looks and reads marvelously.

The premise for this series is a younger Nancy Drew, modernized. But as ever these stories have a timeless quality, and keep a fun pace and very appealing artwork that altogether tell the tales well. These characters have their rambunctious side, but it never comes across in the “parents are so uncool” way. Even more, these characters do rely on their smarts to resolve conflicts, which is always a wonderful message to pass on.

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Midwifed by nilskidoo - 02/03/13 - 0 comments

Annoying Orange 1

 

AnnoyingOrange1-COVCreated by Dane Boedigheimer
Written and illustrated by Mike Kazaleh and Scott Shaw!
Letters by Tom Orzechowski and Janice Chiang
Colours by Laurie E. Smith and JayJay Jackson
Associate Editing by Michael Petranek
Editing in chieferizing by Jim Salicrup
Cover by Scott Shaw! (with JayJay Jackson)
Published by Papercutz

the three cents.

This is rich. I literally laughed coffee all over my shirt in reading this debut novella that boldly takes back fruits and veggies from the dubious Veggie Tales crowd. In these trying times of economic depravity and haphazard politics, it is a royal treat to be bombarded Gatling-style by the worst puns ever. Annoying Orange is blessed release.

Filled with a ton of shorter strips from legendary Kazaleh, and a longer Bond-ish tale from legendary Shaw!, we meet the zany cast of stock of fruity gold that was birthed from the youtube serial onto an animated series (which Kazaleh and Shaw! are both involved in, thankfully). Orange is indeed annoying, and the rest of his friends, lovers and enemies are every bit as colorful, without ever once crossing into offensible territory. There are so many out of this world one-liners you will be compelled to believe that Kazaleh and Shaw! are respectfully, in actuality, large studios of foreign artists working around the clock in shifts, hundreds of artisans quietly sipping a nice Brandy while typing and doodling away in creative slavery. Marshmallow and Grandpa Lemon are scene-stealers though, so be forewarned! Yay!

The art is very breezy, very clever. It has an animated look, but the stronger comedy prevails in the plot and silly silly scripts. Shaw! and Kazaleh both are such masters at what they do, they can go all chameleon in the blink of an eye in the ease with which they readily portray so many distinct but brushy styles. These characters are primarily not human, but the range of expressive actions given them is awe-inspiring. The virtuoso lettering, the ace colouring, all of the book is just fun perfection.

And the best part? Like the Simpsons, there honestly is something here for everyone. Even meat-eaters.

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Midwifed by nilskidoo - 17/12/12 - 0 comments

Dance Class 3

 

DanceClass3-COVWritten by Beka (Bertrand Escaich and Caroline Rogue)
Illustrated by Crip
Letters by Tom Orzechowski
Colours by Maela Cosson
Translation by Joe Johnson
Production by Adam Grano
Associate Editing by Michael Petranek
Editing in chieferizing by Jim Salicrup
Published by Papercutz

the three cents.

This third volume in the graphic novella series has Julie, Alia and Lucie, the trio of young female leads, endure their own passions for dance, as their school introduces them to a new African dance, which incorporates movements from everyday life. The parallel with the girls already living and breathing dance is well envisioned, and the lighthearted comedy presents a surprisingly fun tale all in all.

Many of the gags last a page or three, but the overall narrative includes many different events, from a couple of parties to time at school to the introduction of some new characters- and the African dance class drummer steals the show in every scene he’s in. We see a bit of the home life for the girls, as well as the younger generation of dance class students, but what stands out are the glimpses suggestive of the sacrifice these girls undergo in pursuing their dreams. It’s never overly dramatic of course, but it is refreshing to see represented the awkwardness of balancing relationships and side jobs and family obligations alongside something that can be rather demanding all on its own, fun though it is. Great balance to the story itself, with many silly lines and situations.

Crip’s art is very vibrant, and makes thoughtful use of physical comedy. Some of the illustrations of the students lost in dance were actually very clearly lovingly rendered. His panel flow is very casual and almost calls to mind the house style for the Archie strips, and should easily appeal to those fans. I think Cosson’s colours were the real star here, with a colorful but muted haze on every page giving a calming effect to the wackiness of some of the scenes. Excellent incorporation of SFX as well, playing off the art like a medley.

This is another of those all-ages, family-friendly comics, and although the target audience is certainly young females there are plenty of gems to enjoy here. I cannot dance to save my life, but I’ve always enjoyed watching others and seeing the passion of others- all of which is well represented in these pages. Whatever our art, it should go hand in hand with our living, and seeing these young characters responsibly embrace that is a bit irresistible.

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Midwifed by nilskidoo - 15/12/12 - 0 comments

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