tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8656277532635794382024-03-05T21:54:52.895-08:00Blacklight ComicsMichael Lapinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212539351021166409noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865627753263579438.post-49773813345704721642011-11-12T05:29:00.001-08:002011-11-14T04:52:55.197-08:00FEEDING GROUND _ Back to the Future<div style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS",sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;">MICHAEL here:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;">Saturday, November 5th was "Flux Capacitor Day," the unofficial (as of yet) annual holiday celebrating Dr. Emmett Brown's innovation of the device that would make time travel possible. Swifty, Chris, and I did a little time traveling of our own recently at New York Comic Con where we had the great fortune of seeing so many old and new friends from our past who came out to support us, sometimes with </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;">artistic creations of their own </span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;">or grown kids we had not yet met.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;">With the FEEDING GROUND Hardcover out on stores (and on Amazon) and the holidays fast approaching this seemed like a good time to reflect and do a round-up of key links and recent events from our FEEDING GROUND timeline, in reverse. You can see all FG-related blog posts <a href="http://mlapinski.blogspot.com/search/label/Feeding%20Ground">HERE</a> and we'll be detailing a select group below:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>OCTOBER 31, 2011</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i>FEEDING GROUND HALLOWEEN PARTY, SALON HECHO, NYC</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">In many ways for me, this event, organized by Chris, was the bow on my FEEDING GROUND experience. I had recently moved to Nashville and, even more so than at NYCC, this was a gathering of my closest friends who came to party. I was floored to have the modern Mexi-Polka band Rana Santacruz perform (they also scored the FG Trailer) and it made for the perfect so-long-for-now to the book and city of New York. You can see more photos and videos at our FG Facebook Page <a href="https://www.facebook.com/#%21/pages/FEEDING-GROUND/125335384218453">HERE</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>OCTOBER 30, 2011</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i>HALLOWEEN REVIEWS</i></span></div>
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"Moody, tactical, arrogant and downright chilling—Sénor Blackwell is
perhaps one of the greatest villains in recent comics history." - The
Comic Book Snob</div>
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From the start, <a href="http://blacklightcomics.blogspot.com/2010/10/feeding-ground-press-and-reviews.html">reviews</a> let us know we existed and provided a constructive mirror to let us know how our craft and ideas were received. But, this pair of Halloween reviews (from <a href="http://comicbook.com/blog/2011/10/31/the-best-halloween-entertainment-2011/">Comic Book.com</a> and <a href="http://comicbooksnob.com/2011/10/28/our-top-5-halloween-reading-picks/">The Comic Book Snob</a>) also included us with distinguished company (SEVERED, THE WALKING DEAD, 30 DAYS OF NIGHT) that suggested that we've earned our space on the shelf alongside them.</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><b>OCTOBER 14-16, 2011</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i>NEW YORK COMIC CON 2011</i></span></div>
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Did a fairly comprehensive Top 11 List of the Con <a href="http://mlapinski.blogspot.com/2011/10/nycc-2011-top-11-list.html">HERE</a>. Major highlights included signing all of the floppy issues of FEEDING GROUND for a fan (above) and participating on Archaia's HOW TO MAKE A GREAT GRAPHIC NOVEL PANEL. All five of my clips are up on my Youtube channel and you can watch the segment about Pitching, below:</div>
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<b>SEPTEMBER 27, 2011</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i>FEEDING GROUND HARDCOVER FOR SALE ON <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Feeding-Ground-Swifty-Lang/dp/1936393026/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top">AMAZON.COM</a></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">No fanfare, it was just there one day after over a year of work, and soon so was our first reader review. Even more than a critic's review, this was interpretation of the story that signaled to me that the book was out of my hands and belonged to the world.</span></div>
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Feeding Ground uniquely captures the spirit of "The American Dream".
Historically, the crossings to this land have been fraught with both
fear and unfairness. The werewolves of Feeding Ground serve as
metaphors, and political reminders, of the "unwelcome mat" that has
greeted countless groups of immigrants, who sniffed freedom, only to be
turned away from our shores. A must read for those who still believe in
the Emma Lazarus inscription at the base of Lady Liberty.
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<b>SEPTEMBER 21, 2011</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i>FOREWORD BY LUIS ALBERTO URREA</i></span></div>
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Luis literally wrote the book on THE DEVIL'S HIGHWAY and his epic non-fiction prose educated us on the desert border; mind, body, and soul. It was an honor that he agreed to write the foreword to our Hardcover and his comments will always be all the affirmation we'll ever need. Be sure to check out both his novels and non-fiction work and you can read the foreword in my original post <a href="http://mlapinski.blogspot.com/2011/09/feeding-ground-best-feedback-ever-so.html">HERE</a>.</div>
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<b>APRIL, 2011</b></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i>"SOMEBODY NEEDS A HAPPY ENDING"</i></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif;">One person we wanted to give an extra shout out to is our editor Paul Morrissey. On top of the regular proofing and production work of getting the book out the door (along with Archaia house designer Scott Newman) he gave one particular note that changed the trajectory of the final chapter of our book. Basically, a happy ending for at least one of our family members. Even after all of the trials and traps that our family went through, with repercussions resonating across the landscape, Swifty was able a believable note of hope; that our survivors can still step with integrity into an uncertain future.</span></div>
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</div>Michael Lapinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212539351021166409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865627753263579438.post-63394324781933990602011-09-21T08:57:00.000-07:002011-09-21T08:58:58.607-07:00FEEDING GROUND _ Foreword<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of the great honors in creating FEEDING GROUND has been the reaction we received from author/scholar Luis Alberto Urrea. In <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Devils-Highway-True-Story/dp/0316746711">"The Devil's Highway: A True Story,"</a> Luis literally wrote the book on the too real horrors of the stretch US/Mexico desert that has consumed lives for centuries and continues to serve as a battlefront of modern immigration. He writes non-fiction that reads like epic poetry and presents an even-handed picture of all players in accounts that are harrowing, human, and darkly humorous. The book was a primary source of research in preparing FEEDING GROUND, our myth on the same subject, and it's with pride that we share Luis' Foreword to our Hardcover Collection, below:</div>
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FEEDING GROUNDS OF THE ELDER GODS<br />
by Luis Alberto Urrea<br />
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As a writer, I am repeatedly confronted with the same question: What are the most Influential books in your life? I always want to answer: Armadillo Comix #2 by Jim Franklin. You see, I came to writing through drawing. As much as my dad hated it, Batman and Hawkman fueled visions that later remained in my prose; unspeakable visions, spoken. I’d love to see how many of us in the writing trade owe our “cinematic” styles to early comics and graphic novels.<br />
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As huge as the craft has become, comic books retain enough outsider, underground cachet to tackle subjects many of us wouldn’t dare touch -- not in polite company, not at Tea Party rallies. One shouldn’t approach such vile, filthy subject matter as the worth of a human life, the dignity of a human soul, or the value of, as Bob Dylan once sang, “these children that you spit on.” I’m talkin’ to you, Mr. Politician. <br />
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And, here is a series of books that leaps deep into the brilliant heart of darkness: the damned (in every sense) and glorious border. The place I write about. The place where I was born.<br />
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Swifty Lang and I share an interest in the exquisite horror and beauty of the wastelands through which the undocumented wanderers must struggle. It is a formidable region of unforgiving landscape and gods who rule with little mercy. In my book, THE DEVIL’S HIGHWAY, I stated that we are all aliens in this landscape, what I call “Desolation.” For fans of the occult, this comes from The Book of Enoch. Yeah, the lands wherein the fallen Watchers and their earth spawn, The Nephilim, are chained beneath the burning desert mountains. They wait to return for their revenge.<br />
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How stunned and delighted was I when these amazing comics arrived in my mailbox. As all great graphic novels do, these books create a literary work of searing poetry and awe. The art allows us to see things we might not be able to—or want to—imagine for ourselves. That my work has had even a little to do with the genesis of this epic is as cool as it gets. I laugh out loud in appreciation when I see the smugglers (Coyotes) and The Devil’s Highway itself, the sly gangsters come alive, as if they had jumped out of my book. But I don’t laugh because it’s funny. No. I’m whistling past the graveyard, amigos. This shit’s scary.<br />
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What Feeding Ground has envisioned and what Lang, Lapinski and Mangun have captured, is the eldritch nature of this new myth. The darkness at the heart of the sun-baked killing fields. There is something…other about it. There is something from our deep nightmares lurking there. Yes, there is a relentless toll of suffering and death to go with the realistic adventure and thrills and violent action. That is a given—every border-book ever written deals with it. However, Border Patrol agents know, DEA agents know, the medicine people of those canyons and dunes know that something…other…lurks. <br />
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I’m trying to capture this Lovecraftian feeling in my own work. Yeah, a little pissed that Swifty et al have done it first, and done it so well. This sensation is what the philosophers call “the sublime” in art. It is beauty, but it is also terror. It’s a higher horror: a sense of the eternal, the dark, the overwhelming. This epic is so addictive that it will lure you into a deep redrock canyon where the worst dream awaits. It’s so bad; it’s so pretty. It’s a festival of wonder that shows you the true awe of awful death.<br />
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Luis Alberto Urrea<br />
Chicago, 2011<br />
<br />Michael Lapinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212539351021166409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865627753263579438.post-41106860128574009802011-08-03T13:46:00.000-07:002011-08-03T18:02:06.743-07:00FEEDING GROUND _ Found in Translation-FG Flip Book<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGKmfXHRTlMXoPNLrrNg9sDcSFgfNZse489CJ3wd2jfCkMyBAsscayhWhFw7UUTg8x_9x2q3rzBBVZRZJ4SdASyEcbyFLzqvU4NYyBM0dK52gO3Uz870qM-5MHnLcyXFwzzC-yvSPg6lo/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-08-03+at+4.44.40+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGKmfXHRTlMXoPNLrrNg9sDcSFgfNZse489CJ3wd2jfCkMyBAsscayhWhFw7UUTg8x_9x2q3rzBBVZRZJ4SdASyEcbyFLzqvU4NYyBM0dK52gO3Uz870qM-5MHnLcyXFwzzC-yvSPg6lo/s320/Screen+shot+2011-08-03+at+4.44.40+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">CHRIS here:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">When we pitched Feeding Ground to Archaia in 2008 at NYCC the first question the CEO & President PJ Bickett had was, “how do you feel about making each of the six issues a flip book, translated into Spanish?” Right after being asked this question, Micheal Lapinski, who pitched it to PJ, called Swifty Lang and I to share the news that Archaia was interested in publishing our comic and that they wanted to translate it as a flip book (English on one side and Spanish on the other- same story). The uniqueness of the floppy flip book resides in the tactile weight and ease of flipping from cover to cover, and those Spanish speaking readers could read Feeding Ground in their native language. This was both an challenge and an opportunity to capture the nuances of Swifty Lang’s well written English dialogue. Either-way, it would be exciting to see how our story would translate.<br />
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The three of us were thrilled by the idea and thought it perfectly mixed with the set of our story on the Arizona/Mexico border. Mike had one brilliant contingency though, that the flip book be set at the standard $3.95 single issue price point (thought being, no one would pay twice the amount for a floppy, and a new title to-boot). Archaia agreed. Feeding Ground Spanish/English Flip book was going to be an exclusive opportunity and only the single issues would be flip books (the graphic novel would be stand alone as either English or Spanish books). <br />
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As we eased into the production of our first floppy there were a few issue. For one, between the three of us, none of us spoke fluent Spanish. Luckily, we found a few translators (translated by Nathalia Murray / Hard Cover being edited by an editor from Mexico) for the 6 issue trade and began a long journey of writing/revising and translating month to month with them. Second, Diamond at the time was going through major market changes as comic shops across the country were greatly effected by the digital shift brought on by tablets and other incidental printing problems. And, as we tirelessly worked on our first issue, we watched our published shift interests away from printing single issues to focus on printing only hard cover. In fact, our property was the final floppy they were to publish. Lastly, to add to the complexity of production, our floppies were being printed in Korea, which at the time stood on the rim of war and had problems with shipping exports on time, making it hard to find our issue in many stores. Needless to say, we regarded this opportunity as creators on a changing print frontier and cherished the medium we were working in as a once in a life time opportunity.<br />
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The first time we held our first issue “One in Ten” in hand in the fall of 2010 at Bergen Street Comics, the first thing we noticed was how heavy it was and others noticed too, like you were getting more than you paid for. The quality of the floppies semi-glossy offset coloring and tones looked outstanding. We ran out of comics that night at Bergen Street and it introduced us to the scarcity of each issue. Since, we have had trouble finding a few spare issues to hand to family and friends, which meant collecting each issue, even as creators, reminded us that floppies are a tactile joy, that unlike unlimited digital distribution there are a finite amount of printed floppies. In these fine days of curious curation, cataloguing music and films and comics, somehow that makes the floppy feel special. After two years and six issues, our Feeding Ground flip book are finished printing (Issue Six is available for a limited time in stores) and we are as proud as we are humbled to find our art and story out there. Give us a shout, let us know how you found the translation or flip book!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">by Chris Mangun</span>Michael Lapinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212539351021166409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865627753263579438.post-39351983007017645072011-08-03T09:03:00.000-07:002011-08-03T18:01:05.265-07:00FEEDING GROUND _ Something about the Floppy<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu2y4wdyfLLp_k-IQo4nvOROq11iwWXMjv75QqzSbdZyulYCOsTE6W3tAaz2mWDHoadqYHWJxFjKRMhyqzzQVQJWr9CDm8eBIULfwsPBexZsQyykYTTTk6oWFbszE2iN9KZnlcQqzXVk4/s1600/billy+ripken" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu2y4wdyfLLp_k-IQo4nvOROq11iwWXMjv75QqzSbdZyulYCOsTE6W3tAaz2mWDHoadqYHWJxFjKRMhyqzzQVQJWr9CDm8eBIULfwsPBexZsQyykYTTTk6oWFbszE2iN9KZnlcQqzXVk4/s320/billy+ripken" width="183" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2S7T6qA3ToB6jQLgX0IiZ_3acS0qb_O-njQ0tq_lHyrmD_WgRPTJI4XvjiPVvYcrutWcAvz734XC3sZfAuA8nfgImXbE2M_GIoHU6tTS8kHLVJL-2__rFfCZrmVcDjzGLvQ_BMXhNMLc/s1600/Billy+Ripken.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a>SWIFTY here: Issue 6 hits the shelf today and it's certainly bittersweet. This will be the first opportunity I will have to see the issue itself in print. Walking into stores I've been in countless times and seeing something I helped create on the shelves has been such a joyful experience. While the Hardcover is sure to reach an even wider audience, there has been something amazing about the floppies.<br />
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From the onset, and in nearly every review, the bilingual content of the floppy has been the most salient feature of the entire series. Those who have not even read the book know that FEEDING GROUND is "the flipbook". This brilliant publishing decision by Archaia has created an object that is truly memorable.<br />
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While I have stated that FEEDING GROUND is something to be read in its Hardcover edition, the floppy itself embodies our learning curve. There are some bits of dialogue that have changed in the Hardcover, panels that have been reworked: we have remastered the story. But there is something about the imperfections, the mistakes we made along the way that have an earnestness that cannot be reproduced.<br />
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When I was a kid collecting baseball cards, it was the error cards that were the most valuable. Former Baltimore Oriole and Hall of Famer Cal Ripken's kid brother, Billy, had a Fleer Card that was rather infamous. He stands with hands clasped, bat handle exposed on which there was written the expletive "Fuck Face". Whether or not this was just a prank by the young second baseman or an honest mistake was certainly something that was hotly contested at the time. The fact that Ripken's questionable demarcation created such a fervor signals not only how long ago this incident occurred, but how far removed we are as culture from valuing mass produced objects. <br />
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What is amazing about comics that is different from all other forms of media right now, is that comics are still collectible. Their digital counterpart transforms something meaningful into something highly disposable. There is still a palpable sense of nostalgia anytime you walk into a comic shop. So if you can, get your hands on Issue 6, the last of the series. We are certainly proud of it. The story is definitely memorable. But the comic itself, the flipbook, is unforgettable.<br />
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Aarrooo,<br />
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SwiftyMichael Lapinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212539351021166409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865627753263579438.post-42372768944383135422011-07-07T11:34:00.000-07:002011-07-07T13:58:01.248-07:00CLIFFHANGERS - Floppies vs. The Trade<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGzeHzviXQJXi3H5k-KB0J1yGRWEVTR_x-S9rJdG4f6kBu_yaCA9gPb9A42hoRS6WMFKO2uahnlqXGsruna5fracA-aDELFNb2p4oUvYYX0MB3KfSzpg7-5rpl8dFyN9KxE8ylY-T1Keg/s1600/cliff-hanger.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGzeHzviXQJXi3H5k-KB0J1yGRWEVTR_x-S9rJdG4f6kBu_yaCA9gPb9A42hoRS6WMFKO2uahnlqXGsruna5fracA-aDELFNb2p4oUvYYX0MB3KfSzpg7-5rpl8dFyN9KxE8ylY-T1Keg/s1600/cliff-hanger.gif" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;">FG issue 5 is on the stands! We have been hard at work perfecting the Graphic Novel that is slated for release October 2011 at NYCC. One thing that has become clear is that there is a new appreciation for the book now that more of the story is available.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">FG is a story to be enjoyed and debated about as a complete series. Though it was released with episodic, cliffhangers in mind, it was conceived of as a complete narrative. One cannot appreciate the nuance or scope of the tale without the ENTIRE story on hand. The question of the narrative value of the floppy vs. the trade is one publishers, artists, and fans have been contemplating for years. Our publisher <a href="http://bit.ly/klYVc1">Archaia </a>has clearly taken a stand as all of their forthcoming titles are stand-alone Trades.</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"> Below are some recent reviews that reflect this observation.</span><br />
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<div style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;">Here is an excellent, very thoughtful review courtesy of the Comic Pull Box. They called FG, "A brilliant thinker worth reading all at once!"</span></div><div style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://bit.ly/hH14Zw">http://bit.ly/hH14Zw</a></span></div><div style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;">The bible of horror magazines, Fangoria, had a lot of love for FEEDING GROUND. Check out Jorge Solis' review:</span></div><div style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://bit.ly/ktRCLC">http://bit.ly/ktRCLC</a></span></div><div style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;">Despite weighing in on some of the controversy depicting Michael Lapinski's bold reimagining of the werewolf (we couldn't be prouder of Mike's work), Geeks of Doom gave FEEDING GROUND an excellent write-up:</span></div><div style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://bit.ly/nam8Fn">http://bit.ly/nam8Fn</a></span></div><div style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><br />
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</div><div style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;">Consider the floppies a hot collectible because of the bi-lingual flipbook, and the pin-ups that you can't find in any other edition. Issues 5&6 will be at SDCC (along with the entire FG Team), so make sure to swing by the Archaia booth and snag your copy!!</span></div><div style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;">Aarrooo!!</span></div><div style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;">- Swifty</span></div>Michael Lapinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212539351021166409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865627753263579438.post-82162450534863246762011-04-25T14:38:00.001-07:002011-04-25T14:38:23.391-07:00FEEDING GROUND: Press and Process<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyYNJx4WR9JhtQGpG5Pvil-7lE0XagWo7lC8Bz5qacUzafDNN_a7bjQOuOwpG_vE0-ELGc5HdedgWkTJ15-OpnAhM669sBBJJYYzKxRq4lKZJMLxIDb4-GPdf92OXbXSgNH0B0HQ_ismi8/s1600/FG6_P26_FLAT.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyYNJx4WR9JhtQGpG5Pvil-7lE0XagWo7lC8Bz5qacUzafDNN_a7bjQOuOwpG_vE0-ELGc5HdedgWkTJ15-OpnAhM669sBBJJYYzKxRq4lKZJMLxIDb4-GPdf92OXbXSgNH0B0HQ_ismi8/s1600/FG6_P26_FLAT.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">MICHAEL here:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I'm in the thick of finishing art on the sixth and final issue of FEEDING GROUND. Haven't had time for a long process post in a while so I thought I would share links to some in-depth interviews.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">After an extremely well-considered </span><a href="http://thepullbox.com/2011/03/27/feeding-ground-great-story-current-issues-and-werewolves/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">review</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> of the first four issues by the guys at <a href="http://thepullbox.com/">The Pullbox</a>, they had us on for a <a href="http://thepullbox.com/2011/04/17/feeding-ground-interview-the-creative-team-talks-about-immigration-the-devils-highway-and-werewolves/">Q&A</a> that breaks down some of the inspiration of the book as well as the steps of our production chain.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Likewise, Chris and I had a fun <a href="http://ia700608.us.archive.org/16/items/DiscussionsWithDecapitatedDan35FeedingGroundCabraCini/FeedingGround_cabra.mp3">conversation</a> with horror comic maven Decapitated Dan about FG and horror books in general. One question we addressed: why do our werewolves kinda look like baboons? I guess I'm hearing second-hand that some readers weren't so hot on the design. What about you?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Lastly, we were chosen as the <a href="http://functionalnerds.com/2011/04/sunday-comic-picks-2/">"Sunday Pick"</a> by Kate over at <a href="http://functionalnerds.com/">Functional Nerds</a>.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Cool, cool.</span>Michael Lapinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212539351021166409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865627753263579438.post-24191674394083853372011-04-13T08:22:00.001-07:002011-04-13T08:22:30.759-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEzazJnJB-N385WSUVOZetusoW71EQ4GS8IoBe8IhrCVqjnS57Aa_86moiAj8MrNkaQIKTWuZYEkt-sYmpF5xiZZhVK9klu_NNFPuAr_aZfDVCasFKw8KGlY85hD-XLhJHOUk7w81iV9Hm/s1600/ABP_FEEDING_GROUND_MOCCA.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEzazJnJB-N385WSUVOZetusoW71EQ4GS8IoBe8IhrCVqjnS57Aa_86moiAj8MrNkaQIKTWuZYEkt-sYmpF5xiZZhVK9klu_NNFPuAr_aZfDVCasFKw8KGlY85hD-XLhJHOUk7w81iV9Hm/s1600/ABP_FEEDING_GROUND_MOCCA.jpg" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">MICHAEL HERE: Swifty, Chris, and I had ourselves a table at our first Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art Festival in NYC this past weekend. It was a spacious and good-spirited event but I didn't have much of a chance to walk around to see what other creators were bringing to the table. Really cool though to introduce new readers to FEEDING GROUND and to hear back from fans who have been reading along. Below are a few other personal highlights from the weekend:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>THE GATHERING</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoZQhPoTwefpqPsNRVJfV9sgJqK2wHkUb-tPba7vyTzI_0rKmhXJxnRLF6E3nc0EhaXqonQEVnuJKI0lrRsVxffDvAZpxvfOjhyphenhyphendmYpfF5WCAWgT02HBGGpS1xwR6WrHHpxQZOic65Snne/s1600/Gathering2Final111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoZQhPoTwefpqPsNRVJfV9sgJqK2wHkUb-tPba7vyTzI_0rKmhXJxnRLF6E3nc0EhaXqonQEVnuJKI0lrRsVxffDvAZpxvfOjhyphenhyphendmYpfF5WCAWgT02HBGGpS1xwR6WrHHpxQZOic65Snne/s1600/Gathering2Final111.jpg" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I had contributed art for a 2-page story in the premiere issue of this <a href="http://www.grayhavencomics.com/">GrayHaven Comics</a> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">anthology and Swifty and I are going to have another one in their upcoming Issue #4. So, it was a sweet surprise to have been situated as neighbors right next to their table. Led by Andrew Goletz, the anthology started as a forum for pairing first-time artists and writers from the Jinxworld message boards. Wrapped with covers and art direction by the talented Aaron Bir, the collection is a fresh voice of dedication and enthusiasm. Writer Doug Hahner was also on hand. He wrote one of my favorite stories in Issue 1 and a nicer guy you never did meet.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>THE INK PANTHERS SHOW</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNwhh6ZfHVcrStTThLVaK7ia6ps6Dd_ApzT8D-9zHQOozvTIBgaBfum7T4AUfbtjF30RSAUXfkysiufRJWT_fY7xFD3UNUwEGr8Kok6qvtJuvj0sVwE07H48Yf-9BEvgVT3r5QQdvaildJ/s1600/INkPanthers-logo-88.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNwhh6ZfHVcrStTThLVaK7ia6ps6Dd_ApzT8D-9zHQOozvTIBgaBfum7T4AUfbtjF30RSAUXfkysiufRJWT_fY7xFD3UNUwEGr8Kok6qvtJuvj0sVwE07H48Yf-9BEvgVT3r5QQdvaildJ/s1600/INkPanthers-logo-88.jpg" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-weight: normal;"></span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I devour podcasts as I work and this is the only one that disrupts my inking with laughter. Ostensibly a comic podcast, the real attraction for me is the banter between friends Mike Dawson and Alex Robinson. I was a cartoonist in college along with Mike and his professional work is one of the factors that encouraged me to get back into comics. They've had me on the show in the past and this weekend I got to sub in for a stricken panelist at a live </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://theinkpanthers.mikedawsoncomics.com/episode-88-live-at-mocca/">recording</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> of the show at MoCCA, sharing convention stories with cartoonists Daniel Spottswood and John Kerschbaum and regaling the audience with my tale of destroying Capt. Lou Albano's car. Also check out Mike's </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://theinkpanthers.mikedawsoncomics.com/category/pro-t-i-p-s/">Pro T.I.P.S</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> for more in-depth discussions with creators about the work and glamour of being a cartoonist.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>MORE MoCCA BITS</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">- I didn't get to see much, but the book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Liars-Kiss-Eric-Skillman/dp/1603090703/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1302706729&sr=8-1">LIAR'S KISS</a> by Top Shelf was one attractive number that I planned on picking up. Others agreed and it was sold out before I could grab it.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-jsp-QYsEHRd2zx0cyqOb_6qZpLrnfKHRyoRRueJ8cAk0_6CpuQgWsW2W2LnBVbNxBHLlFqOZKZtg7N1UVCOnuHlGPqLPAmJqNy_qe5vXyfNbHC6_oVeiFsBh7BJ_Fi0ZscD45Rd16tmH/s1600/LiarsKiss_cover_full_notfinal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-jsp-QYsEHRd2zx0cyqOb_6qZpLrnfKHRyoRRueJ8cAk0_6CpuQgWsW2W2LnBVbNxBHLlFqOZKZtg7N1UVCOnuHlGPqLPAmJqNy_qe5vXyfNbHC6_oVeiFsBh7BJ_Fi0ZscD45Rd16tmH/s1600/LiarsKiss_cover_full_notfinal.jpg" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">- I did get to buy GB Tran's </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Vietnamerica-Familys-Journey-GB-Tran/dp/0345508726/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1302706771&sr=8-1">VIETNAMERICA</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> an incredible tome of personal journalism executed in a visual language that feels like memory to me. Bonus - it came with the special convention cover that is a folded copy of a poster design for the book.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCj6nQ5CMqXOHq63u31xBEKEeYc_oGVaX9oiXuEsHS7TzBjH1xD4vCUDYnVBE44eSiT9cq_YAA0NMYnwkTXJdQL24TfAlk2dnxLZWjaf1_URSo9yKtwh7v7pXqxqXuBolEdd3YjI01Pa_g/s1600/610Sxz52T2L._SS500_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCj6nQ5CMqXOHq63u31xBEKEeYc_oGVaX9oiXuEsHS7TzBjH1xD4vCUDYnVBE44eSiT9cq_YAA0NMYnwkTXJdQL24TfAlk2dnxLZWjaf1_URSo9yKtwh7v7pXqxqXuBolEdd3YjI01Pa_g/s1600/610Sxz52T2L._SS500_.jpg" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">- I met one of my comic icons, Bill Sienkiewicz, and didn't embarrass myself all that much. I first discovered his work as a child with the “Badlands” issue of the "Demon Bear" run of THE NEW MUTANTS sandwiched between two other books in a supermarket 3-pack. It was a disturbing, challenging, find that not only opened my eyes to comics as art but the power of art in general. It continues to affect me and my work to this day. Check out </span><a href="http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2011/03/29/comics-you-should-own-the-new-mutants-18-31/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">this</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> article on CBR to see images of the run and give yourself an idea on what sort of influence he had on the industry at a particular point in time.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ1gHQPIbHOjgvJ7lPu5cWX3-Xjsk5Vt7g_lp1yfa1CmfSPYL8j_hesdQneNrS0Ohq3oCyqzo2wDDkDuY0qfZkp2PMDVKjZTEeaEdl-6DYma7seGH6ObBeVvvZjCAvTMMeqeE_-yfFyrzu/s1600/03-27-2011-035155PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ1gHQPIbHOjgvJ7lPu5cWX3-Xjsk5Vt7g_lp1yfa1CmfSPYL8j_hesdQneNrS0Ohq3oCyqzo2wDDkDuY0qfZkp2PMDVKjZTEeaEdl-6DYma7seGH6ObBeVvvZjCAvTMMeqeE_-yfFyrzu/s1600/03-27-2011-035155PM.jpg" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">- Swifty and I had dinner with our Editor-in-Chief at Archaia, Stephen Christy. I am proud to be a part of a company that publishes important, attractive, work that is evolving our concept of what a comic book and comic book company can be in </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span id="goog_23270574"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">2011</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span id="goog_23270575"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">. Their recent Wonder Con </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=31795">announcements</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> have me stoked as a comic fan, none more so than the care and vision that Stephen is putting into the graphic novel adaptation of Jim Henson's unpublished screenplay </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.myfoxchicago.com/dpp/news/stephen-christy-archaia-comics-jim-henson-tale-of-sand-graphic-novel-20110321">A TALE OF SAND</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">. Stephen is a guy who gets it, delivering quality packaging and promotion always in service of Story.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9SDzw20JWoYkA9JxhXahIcD_QdeB4aU_WuePgZtjUDIj4LRhyphenhyphenKxVOntq4dumitwnxrfKXP5QAwmsr9JRyiViOHja1UjDEx1gDyBl8j5K9gZCe5UxoJSzjdo3UkQKoDQ_wa2lKRFLVTTDe/s1600/340px-Poster-taleofsand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9SDzw20JWoYkA9JxhXahIcD_QdeB4aU_WuePgZtjUDIj4LRhyphenhyphenKxVOntq4dumitwnxrfKXP5QAwmsr9JRyiViOHja1UjDEx1gDyBl8j5K9gZCe5UxoJSzjdo3UkQKoDQ_wa2lKRFLVTTDe/s1600/340px-Poster-taleofsand.jpg" /></a></div>Michael Lapinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212539351021166409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865627753263579438.post-77327871419247141682011-04-12T11:18:00.000-07:002011-04-12T11:18:26.435-07:00MOCCA NOMADS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi44vLOV2h6HJF5feJIJ1q5KTXJGrfeWCfcP3rGHmdMwwSMR-aCjTn5mva4bTLnZqF5do6O5RRlWC_4NZP2fogFShf_nfb2CnflkyYZ7ADz91J7hhoMh2SDDMPa2FzhGySUIOKkE075DUA/s1600/nomads.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi44vLOV2h6HJF5feJIJ1q5KTXJGrfeWCfcP3rGHmdMwwSMR-aCjTn5mva4bTLnZqF5do6O5RRlWC_4NZP2fogFShf_nfb2CnflkyYZ7ADz91J7hhoMh2SDDMPa2FzhGySUIOKkE075DUA/s400/nomads.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>We set up our FG shop at MOCCA this last weekend. It was fun and went well and the instant comic community who came out to shop was encouraging. Id say the tops were those few times I really got to talk to people looking for a new book to appreciate. And they walked away with our comic. It's amazing to see people's eyes light up when they hear the unique selling point of our book and you know they are interested, love it, or perhaps just aren't interested, which is fine... there's something for everyone out there. Many of the long chats I had were with creators working on their own comic looking for advice to get a publisher to look at their work or looking for a chance to share. And between those chats was us, waiting, talking amongst ourselves about life, doing some simple selling, getting the comic idea from our minds - out there into the tangible world. <br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"> <br />
Sunday morning, I remember seeing a guy walking up the Armory's stairs with boxes strapped to his side, fumbling posters and coffee to set up just before the gates opened and hundreds of people began walking through to shop. And, it made me appreciate the physical challenge we "mom and pop" creators face at these conventions... "the set up"... waking early in the morning, lugging books and t-shirts and all the other merch, carrying it all miles from here to there, to set up shop shoulder to shoulder among PVC pipe make shift poster holders, hundreds of tables, cluttered ideas and styles. And it all reminded me of those nomadic merchants in 1500's who traveled to distant Asian lands, only to return to Europe to set up a makeshift weekend shop in a crazed dark market. I'm sure even back then they had mornings like I had on Sunday. Moments, in mid yawn, waiting for strangers to arrive en-mass... either to buy or rummage through the things we had brought to them from another world. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;">By Chris Mangun</span> </div>Michael Lapinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212539351021166409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865627753263579438.post-30642501789896149672010-12-31T05:33:00.000-08:002011-01-04T06:56:11.277-08:002010 _ Blacklight Bites<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">MICHAEL here:<br /><br />I posted a deeper (longer) reflection on the year on my art blog <a href="http://mlapinski.blogspot.com/2010/12/2010-year-of-wolf.html">Paws as Hands</a> but I wanted to add a few quick hits here for some standout Blacklight moments:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">- Seeing our first collaboration, Chris' short FROZEN DARK, published and collected as part of the DON'T LOOK! Anthology. Editor Rick Ritter is a co-worker who was one of those guys who initially poked me to start doing comics again. The final product is a quality, diverse collection that includes a number of other friends, old and new. Plus, I thought that Chris came up with a great title in DON'T LOOK! and Dave Palumbo wrapped it all in one striking cover. Looking forward to more from the <a href="http://lastminutecomics.com/">LAST MINUTE COMICS</a> crew.</span><br /><br /><br /><a href="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/bookImage.png"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 350px; height: 370px;" src="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/bookImage.png" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">- Traveling to <a href="http://mlapinski.blogspot.com/2010/07/san-diego-comic-con-2010-big-wrap-up.html">San Diego</a> with Swift for the Convention. From the moment we landed it was an adventure. The streets were thick with fans and our local driver/ friend/ escort yelled at them all the way. From Backstreet Boy bracelets to Wolf Costumes to Gorging on Tapas to Our Chat with Steve Lieber to He-Man Dioramas to Our First Signing and Panel to the After Party with Archaia peeps it was an unforgettable whirlwind not even two days full.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/IMG_8178.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 534px;" src="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/IMG_8178.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">- That a random Facebook post about my cat reconnected me with Nathalia Ruiz Murray, who now could not be a more perfect fit as translator on FEEDING GROUND. She's taken on the role of a diligent writer and linguist who brings so much to the book and ensures more than some rote dictionary translation.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/40901_485426036132_657311132_7510507_4488170_n.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 534px;" src="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/40901_485426036132_657311132_7510507_4488170_n.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">- Being a regular listener of the INK PANTHERS Podcast and then being invited on as a <a href="http://www.mikedawsoncomics.com/the-ink-panthers-show-53-featuring-mike-lapinski/">guest</a>.</span> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Ostensibly a comic podcast, it's hardly ever about comics and it's more about the banter of the hosts. The funniest thing I listen to every week.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/INkPanthers-logo-53.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 401px; height: 262px;" src="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/INkPanthers-logo-53.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">- Our most recent meeting at my home to discuss the beats for FEEDING GROUND #5. It not always easy to collaborate with friends but we've worked hard to be respectful of each other's working style and schedule and tastes. With this meeting I think we hit a groove that was apparent, asking the right questions and field testing solutions to make sure they held water. A perfect end to the teamwork of this year and standard to continue in 2011.<br /><br /></span><a href="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/FG_COVER_05_FLAT.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 401px; height: 204px;" src="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/FG_COVER_05_FLAT.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Michael Lapinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212539351021166409noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865627753263579438.post-86388061359030411182010-12-30T14:39:00.001-08:002010-12-30T14:55:21.914-08:00The Art of the Small --- Looking Back on 2010<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIi-63xL0kMm3pXvvfqTPW6fVo2YBaoLH9wyMBNgbJWbQa0WOjtIJ2qfGolz97JikfqMo-V_RARQ9k2d3EUOvgUbL5_QGVOa8TGF0E4HwjCdYfCwlihFPgNIQsQgKQ2d4zyaR2n6QRFMQ/s1600/Screen+shot+2010-12-30+at+4.54.29+PM.png"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 259px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIi-63xL0kMm3pXvvfqTPW6fVo2YBaoLH9wyMBNgbJWbQa0WOjtIJ2qfGolz97JikfqMo-V_RARQ9k2d3EUOvgUbL5_QGVOa8TGF0E4HwjCdYfCwlihFPgNIQsQgKQ2d4zyaR2n6QRFMQ/s400/Screen+shot+2010-12-30+at+4.54.29+PM.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556611753009422562" /></a><br /><br /><!--EndFragment--><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:16.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">By Chris Mangun</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:16.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:16.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">I work in Pharma Advertising... the fine print industry. One day, one of our best art directors Huy Hygen (who’s name is pronounced We Win and most enjoyable to say)… anyways, we got into a conversation about fonts and how hard it is to choose the right font to go with the right art. Whether recognized or not, Helvetica feels different from Eurostyle, some might say, more minimal or genteel than the latter. Out of the conversation came the notion that, “People spend more time per capita focused on words than images since they must read letters.” Typography opened my eyes to how every shaped letter is its own piece of art and that someone spent years working on this alphabet, maybe a whole 2 weeks on the letter G! Golly-gosh, someone even made a movie about it “Helvetica”… a splendid documentary on fonts if you’re interested.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:16.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:16.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">I mention all this because a lot of my work on Feeding Ground is lettering each issue. Every month, my eye goes to the screen for hours, tweaking little letters, judging font size, considering spacing, etc. In those hours of work, I sometimes would stop and ask myself, how important is lettering? Do people really care if we use CC Gibbons or Spooky Art over Times Roman? And the answer was always the same, yes. When it comes to comics, choosing the right font is cornerstone to setting the right tone or feeling of a visual story.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:16.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:16.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">This year, I learned why balloons have their own “Live” or “safety” area, which is the distance I want to keep the text from edge of the balloon. Being without special effects of TV or sound, I learn that changing a word’s color or outlining it to stretch it, or making it into sound effects can change the way someone feels or even hears a word. The biggest challenge I had in lettering, what made me really focus in on this little art, was working with accents on the translated flip-side of our issues. Español has accents over certain letters, reverse punctuation, and for whatever reason well styled comic fonts are lacking these accents. This means, I had to place individual “tildes” over dozens of ñ’s and accents over many other letters.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:16.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">Lettering really is the art of the small… that background craft of creating finely fixed symbols, tiny canvases of meaning, well placed amongst bigger meaning. The best at this craft, allow readers to feel something without having to knowingly feel it. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;">What I know about lettering comics I learned through “DC Comics Guide to Coloring and Lettering” and a lot working with Michael Lapinski who has built up a great awareness to the art of the small and coached me when I needed it. This year, like lettering, had so many small moments. Many were spent working on this fine comic, which taught me about collaboration with friends and looking closely at how beautifully complicated pockets of time can be summed up in a few well designed words.</span></span><o:p></o:p></p> <!--EndFragment--> </div>Michael Lapinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212539351021166409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865627753263579438.post-8178434458009185872010-12-29T09:47:00.000-08:002010-12-29T10:04:23.283-08:00Reflections on 2010Swifty here-<br /><br />Learned so much this past year, and wanted to take a moment to reflect on what this year has taught me. 2010 has been an absolute blur, so I felt a stream of consciousness-style response is most applicable.<br /><br />Listen to your artist when something isn't working, you really share the same end goals. Read the reviews, sometimes they sting, but this can be the most objective feedback you get. Be true your intentions. You are doing this because you have something to say. Try to tackle something current, but make sure it's personal.<br /><br />Remember how fortunate you are to be a part of the comics community. I have met many in the industry whose talent is matched by their generosity and intelligence. Read widely, beyond comics. How else is your work not going to be solely referential.<br /><br />Try to engage the people who are supporting your work as opposed to waiting for an introduction. Ultimately the work should connect you with like-minded people. Talk to people who do not read comics. I've gotten some of my best ideas that way. Be willing to fail, it's the only way you have a chance at success. Remember to love doing the work, at the end of the day, it is the only thing in your control.Michael Lapinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212539351021166409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865627753263579438.post-255162034249144312010-11-24T16:30:00.000-08:002010-11-24T16:34:56.687-08:00THANKFUL<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/FG1_STORES.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/FG1_STORES.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />FEEDING GROUND #1 has been shipping across the country these last few weeks and it has finally landed on our home coast. In honor of the book's release and tomorrow's holiday, here is our THANK YOU page text as it appeared in the back of the issue. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families.<br /><br /><blockquote>It might not be customary to include "thank yous" in the<br />first issue of a comic but this was a labor of love almost<br />two years in the making. It would not have happened if<br />not for the people below and we'd like to express our<br />gratitude.<br /><br />As a group, we benefited greatly from the insight and<br />experience of Thomas Peyton, the counsel of Suzana<br />Carlos, and the encouragement and camaraderie of artist<br />Juan Doe. Great thanks to everyone at Archaia not only<br />for taking a chance on us, but also offering advice and<br />support that recognized what we were doing and then<br />made it stronger.<br /><br />SWIFTY LANG would like to thank the following people:<br />I would like to thank my parents, my brother David and<br />sister Samantha for believing in me. I would like to thank<br />my Uncle Neal for giving me the GI Joes that kept my<br />imagination rollin’. I’d like to thank my cousins B.B. and<br />M.B. for proving that writing can be more than a hobby. I<br />would like to thank all of my friends in Hollywood, Florida,<br />NYC, LA and world-wide. I’d like to dedicate this to my girl<br />Spooky, for listening without judgment, reading every<br />draft, and putting up with a grown man arguing about<br />werewolves when he barely had a job.<br /><br />MICHAEL LAPINSKI would like to thank the following<br />people: Cartoonists Rick Ritter, Mike Dawson, GB Tran and<br />the guys of MAMMAL, their art and dedication convinced<br />me to get back into making comics. Paul Zdanowicz,<br />horror guru and Lapinski-booster with a keen critical eye.<br />Klaus Janson, whose professional instruction came just at<br />the right time to bring structure and rules to what I had<br />been discovering on the page. Brian Michael Bendis for<br />providing the Jinxworld message board and its posters for<br />keeping me company in the solitude of my man cave. To<br />my parents and family, whose generous affection has<br />always allowed me to thrive. And, to Lindsay, thanks for<br />adding sweetness to my life and for riding this wolf with<br />me to Bayonne and beyond.<br /><br />CHRISTOPHER MANGUN would like to thank the following<br />people: His father Rick, who taught him craftsmanship. His<br />mother Kathie, who taught him how to work with people.<br />His sister Jenny, who open his eyes to ideas and music at<br />the right time. His brother Rob, the best entertainer he<br />knows. His Uncle Tim, for evoking storytelling as an<br />important part of him. And most of all, his best friend Mel,<br />who believed in him through unbelievable weekends and<br />continues to do so with kind support. Also, Pale Ale beer...<br />Yes, he know that's not a person, but it is a friendly spirit<br />that sometimes helps grease the pleasant grind of<br />so-called-life-events.<br /><br />Finally thanks to YOU, the reader, for giving this a shot and<br />holding this in your hands. CHEERS!</blockquote>Michael Lapinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212539351021166409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865627753263579438.post-61483302985500391182010-11-05T16:04:00.000-07:002010-11-09T05:44:21.492-08:00KING CON _ The Blacklight Table<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/banner.png"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 402px; height: 163px;" src="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/banner.png" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />We're going to be at <a href="http://kingconbrooklyn.com/">King Con</a> comic convention in Park Slope, Brooklyn this weekend and you should too!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Our very own Blacklight Comics table will feature periodicals <a href="http://www.archaia.com/blog/titles/feeding-ground">FEEDING GROUND</a> and horror anthology DON'T LOOK! (we did the short <a href="http://mlapinski.blogspot.com/2010/07/frozen-dark-dont-look-anthology.html">FROZEN DARK</a>) as well as the snazzy buttons (made by <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/theangryrobot">The Angry Robot</a> and featuring Cover and Interior Art) and T-Shirts (printed by <a href="http://www.fastcustomshirts.com/servlet/StoreFront">Fast Custom Shirts</a> and based on the cover to <a href="http://mlapinski.blogspot.com/2010/09/feeding-ground-cover-and-solicitation.html">Issue 3</a>) you see below.<br /><br /><a href="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/40159_485053946132_657311132_7502415_5704015_n.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 518px;" src="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/40159_485053946132_657311132_7502415_5704015_n.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/40123_414768112608_195772452608_4263306_846124_n.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 309px;" src="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/40123_414768112608_195772452608_4263306_846124_n.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />And... <a href="http://www.pulparindo.info/english">Pulparindo</a>!<br /><br /><a href="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/Screenshot2010-11-05at71211PM.png"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 284px; height: 372px;" src="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/Screenshot2010-11-05at71211PM.png" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />This Pop Tart of a Con poster is by talented cartoonist and friend, <a href="http://www.gbtran.com/">GB Tran</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/73640_10150281944295403_247615315402_15351905_5777397_n.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 608px;" src="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/73640_10150281944295403_247615315402_15351905_5777397_n.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div>Michael Lapinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212539351021166409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865627753263579438.post-85069836514999152782010-10-19T08:00:00.000-07:002010-10-19T20:15:12.479-07:00Revision...Taming the Beast<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjQcoIwkoepyuCbQdS-O_HjM4KRk2UER77_rC54x5Bt1b7f5S1x6VMwxRebLESMoREVzvLzhJ0UIxi2cTrJc_ERlV2L6vEVH_pnEGQAUveotgjcJb5DxE4G_TeLXEuaOSO7dEZLEk81b0/s1600/Firing+squad+Posada.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjQcoIwkoepyuCbQdS-O_HjM4KRk2UER77_rC54x5Bt1b7f5S1x6VMwxRebLESMoREVzvLzhJ0UIxi2cTrJc_ERlV2L6vEVH_pnEGQAUveotgjcJb5DxE4G_TeLXEuaOSO7dEZLEk81b0/s400/Firing+squad+Posada.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529778117669831298" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />Swifty here-<br /><br />The act of collaborative writing seems potentially disastrous. How is a unified character psychology established? How does one decide upon motivation, action, a characters voice etc. The process is wrought with frustration.<br /><br />One of the things we have done is establish "kill cards" and "save cards" in which we are each allowed through democracy to kill those bits of story that are simply not reading well. If the writer is responsible for killing their darlings, we have set-up a firing squad. Ultimately, as a writer, it is important to always remember that your team has the collective goal of telling the best story possible, and not trying to tell <span style="font-style: italic;">their</span> story.<br /><br /><a href="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/Cards.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 373px;" src="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/Cards.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />With comics being a visual medium, pace is king, and conveying the most efficient flow of visual information is ultimately the most effective way of telling a story. Personally speaking, because this is my first go at creating a comic, my first draft of issue 1 was so packed with narrative information, the story ultimately was plotted over three issues. The revision was necessary, and allowed the story to breathe in a way that created a far more compelling narrative. The rewriting process for issue 1 took a year. Issue 4 has been written in under a month. Our work flow is improving.<br /><br />One of the steps that allowed for this new efficiency has been employing the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvel_Method">Marvel Method</a>. Michael, Chris, and I will sit down together and beat out the plot points. From there, Michael will establish how much real estate panel wise I have to establish the emotional moments of the scene and convey the most information possible in the fewest words. I have a tendency to pack my panels and that doesn't always hit the mark. Comics has forced me to really layer my work and infuse each word with meaning so that it's echoes are felt throughout the entire series. It is a process more similar to constructing a poem than to telling a story. There is little room for digression.<br /><br />After the draft is complete, it's time to bring in the firing squad, the only exception being, I know exactly where the bullet is coming from.Michael Lapinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212539351021166409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865627753263579438.post-78904026218542268042010-10-17T11:53:00.001-07:002011-07-17T15:29:25.373-07:00FEEDING GROUND _ Press and Reviews<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This post will be treated as a catch-all for links to online interviews, criticism, and feedback regarding our first comic mini-series FEEDING GROUND. Click on the hotlinks for the full text and please feel free to let us know of any we've missed.</span></span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">---------------------------------------------------------------</span></span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.aintitcool.com/node/50321"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">AIN'T IT COOL NEWS</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">-</span></span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> By Ambush Bug</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">July 2011</span></span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">One of our favorite critics, and a storyteller in his own right (check out his totally unique Vampire series </span></span><a href="http://www.fangoria.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3868:nanny-a-hank-retirement-is-hell-graphic-novel-review&catid=54:comics-reviews&Itemid=185"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Nanny & Hank</span></span></i></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">), Ambush Bug sat down with us during SDCC back in 2010. Publishing his interview one year later has offered us a great perspective on how far the project has come.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="http://www.aintitcool.com/node/50321"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">INTERVIEW</span></a></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> - (excerpt) -</span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> "...</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">an original and extremely well crafted take on werewolves and the Mexican </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">border." </span></span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">----------------------------------------------------</span></span></b><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="http://geeksofdoom.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">GEEKS OF DOOM</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">-</span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> By The Insomniac</span></span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">April 2011</span></span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Insomniac had a chance to sit down with the first four issues of the book and offered this thoughtful review.</span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="http://geeksofdoom.com/2011/04/10/comic-review-feeding-ground/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">REVIEW</span></a></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> - (excerpt) - </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"Feeding Ground</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> is a top rate comic and unique idea."</span></span></div><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">------------------------------------------------</span></span></b><br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.fangoria.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">FANGORIA</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> - By Jorge Sollis</span></span></b><br />
<div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">April 2011</span></span></b></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Fangoria is considered by many to be the bible of horror news and reviews. They've been doing it for over thirty years. We were deeply honored to receive this excellent review.</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><a href="http://www.fangoria.com/index.php?view=article&id=4103:feeding-ground-comic-review&option=com_content&catid=54:comics-reviews&Itemid=185"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">REVIEW</span></a></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> - </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">(excerpt) - "Readers will no doubt be discussing their opinion on the topics lurking within the pages. Comic book fans are given a chance to think and be entertained at the same time." </span></span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">-------------------------------------------------</span></span></b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://thepullbox.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">THE PULLBOX</span></a></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> - By Eric @The Pullbox.com</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">March 2011</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">After a conversation with Chris Mangun at C2E2, Eric penned this excellent review of FEEDING GROUND.<span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://thepullbox.com/2011/03/27/feeding-ground-great-story-current-issues-and-werewolves/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">REVIEW</span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">- </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">(excerpt)</span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> - "...</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">the emotion and characters are so solid and genuine that they should not be overlooked when reading the entire tale. Even in light of the conflict in-between border patrols and out of control lycanthropes."</span></span><br />
<div style="color: blue;"> </div><div style="color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cccccc;">--------------------------------------------------</span></b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cccccc;"><br />
</span></b></span></span><br />
<b><span style="color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.mtv.com/geek/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">MTV GEEK</span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">- By Charles Webb</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0.1pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0.1pt;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">January 2011</span></span></b><br />
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</span></span></b></div><div style="margin: 0.1pt 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Swifty had a chance to chat about FEEDING GROUND with then newly-launched MTV Geek.</span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">With a veritable roster of comic powerhouses, it was an honor to be included at the party, even briefly. Below is an excerpt of the interview.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><a href="http://geek-news.mtv.com/2011/01/19/coyotes-and-werewolves-on-the-border-swifty-lang-talks-feeding-ground/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">INTERVIEW</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cccccc;">- (excerpt)-</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cccccc;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cccccc;">"...</span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cccccc;">The idea of transformation, the most integral part of the monster, struck me as something not only corollary but, integral to the crosser’s journey of seeking out a new life... How does one survive and what is their reason to continue?</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.renderwrx.net/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">RENDERWRX PRODUCTIONS</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">- "COVERLESS" Reviews</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">December, 2010</span></span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span></span></span><a href="http://www.renderwrx.net/apps/blog/show/5545797-feeding-ground"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">REVIEW</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> - (excerpt) - "</span></span><span class="fw_sanitized"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Quality book, I give it 5 stars across the board and am eagerly awaiting future issues. Thanks Archaia for turning out great book after great book."</span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
-----------------------------------------------------</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.theouthousers.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">THE OUTHOUSE</span></span></a><a href="http://www.theouthousers.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></a></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">- "Fourthman Reviews" by Lee Newman</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">November, 2010</span></span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span></span></b><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><a href="http://www.theouthousers.com/index.php/reviews/fourthman-reviews/11260-feeding-ground-1.html?start=14"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">REVIEW</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> - (excerpt) - "It's a blessing that Archaia and other companies are out there exploring the boundaries of the medium – just like the indie films and book publishers do for the more mainstream media outlets."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">------------------------------------------------------</span></span></span><br />
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</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span><a href="http://comicrelated.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">COMIC RELATED</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> - "Why I Love Comics" by Eric Ratcliffe</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">October, 2010</span></span></b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Eric has written some of my favorite reviews of some of my favorite comics (Hawkeye & Mockingbird, Sweets) and now he puts words to FEEDING GROUND #1. I especially appreciate how he related to our presentation of family in the book.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://comicrelated.com/news/9213/feeding-ground"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">REVIEW</span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> - (excerpt) - "</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">My verdict is that if you enjoy books that explore the human condition as well as add plenty of mystery and a little bit of suspense/action I really think you'll enjoy this. I can happily say I have no idea where they are taking this but I sure as hell am in for the ride! "</span></span><br />
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</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.aintitcool.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">AIN'T IT COOL NEWS</span></span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">October, 2010</span></span></b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The premiere website for fan culture gave an amazing post-NY Comic Con review of Issue 1, calling the book "one of the cooler books of the con" and "unique in almost every way."</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span><a href="http://www.aintitcool.com/node/47013#11"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">REVIEW </span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">- (excerpt) - "</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Take my word for it, seek out FEEDING GROUND. It works as a political commentary ripped from the headlines as well as a nail biting horror/thriller. Highly recommended."</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://wheremonstersblog.blogspot.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">WHERE MONSTERS DWELL</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> - Episode 121</span></span></span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">October, 2010</span></span></b><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">All three of us were featured guests on this weekly pop culture radio show. Great banter and a casual conversation with the guys about NY Comic Con and our pop culture influences.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">LISTEN HERE:</span></span></span><br />
<a href="http://wheremonstersblog.blogspot.com/2010/10/episode-121-with-creators-of-feeding.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">http://wheremonstersblog.blogspot.com/2010/10/episode-121-with-creators-of-feeding.html</span></span></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">THE NEW YORK TIMES</span></span></span></a><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">October, 2010</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This little local rag did a </span></span><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/08/books/08comics.html?_r=1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">feature</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> on "comic-related gems" in NYC and included </span></span><a href="http://bergenstreetcomics.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Bergen Street Comics</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> in Park Slope Brooklyn and a pic of our FEEDING GROUND launch at the shop. The store is the closest thing we have to a Comics' Salon frequented by professionals and an educated and enthusiastic readership. And, it's a great-looking space to boot.</span></span><br />
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</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span><a href="http://werewolf-news.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">WEREWOLF NEWS</span></span></a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">September, 2010<br />
Andrew at Werewolf News is someone who is about as informed and passionate about all things werewolf as you can get. He was cool to feature us on his site both in an introductory post and probing Q&A that delved into the nature of the contemporary werewolf myth we are in the process of revealing.</span></span><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><a href="http://werewolf-news.com/2010/09/feeding-ground-of-werewolves-coyotes-and-the-mexico-arizona-border/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">INTRO</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> - (excerpt) - "</span></span><a href="http://werewolf-news.com/page/2010/08/comic-review-the-wrong-night-in-texas/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Wrong Night in Texas</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> told its werewolves-in-the-desert story with manic energy, but every panel of Feeding Ground is a slow burn. The heat, desperation and simmering violence of the Busqueda family’s world is evident in every stroke of Lapinski’s artwork and word of Lang’s writing."</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://werewolf-news.com/2010/09/exclusive-qa-with-the-creators-of-feeding-ground/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Q&A</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> - (excerpt) - "While our comic acknowledges a rich back-story of the historic collision of pre-Columbian and European myths present in this region our comic is set firmly in the present. It deals more with modern themes such as Capitalism, which has created new circumstances for both the rich and the poor and thus requires new acts of rebellion, new kinds of myths."</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Also grea</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">t fe</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">edback from a reader who commented "Consider me sold, guys. Even more than concept or artwork, seeing the amount of thought you’ve put into your work has got me eager to read."</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">------------------------------------------------------</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://theinkpanthers.mikedawsoncomics.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">THE INK PANTHERS SHOW</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> - Episode #53</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">August, 2010</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Already a fan of the podcast (a "fanther") Michael has the chance to guest star with cartoonists/ hosts Mike Dawson and Alex Robinson and chat about veganism, San Diego Comic Con, and the origins of Swifty Lang.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">LISTEN HERE:</span></span></span><br />
<a href="http://www.mikedawsoncomics.com/the-ink-panthers-show-53-featuring-mike-lapinski/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">http://www.mikedawsoncomics.com/the-ink-panthers-show-53-featuring-mike-lapinski/</span></span></a><br />
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</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span><a href="http://search.nj.com/the+comic+box"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">THE COMIC BOX</span></span></a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">July, 2010<br />
Our first bit of coverage came in the form of an interview and early review from The Comic Box, William Kulesa's weekly comic feature in The Jersey Journal and on NJ.com. Michael had the chance to shout out a number of influences and supportive folk and the review let us know that the material was on the right track in terms of the particular type of horror we were gunning for.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2010/08/bayonne_author_has_new_horror.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Interview</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> with Michael - (excerpt) - "Any work of horror needs to have a central anxiety. In this case it’s the inability to provide for your family. Regardless of your feelings about the politics of the region, the central truth is rooted in people on both sides of the border merely trying to get by despite all of the forces conspiring against them."</span></span><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><a href="http://www.nj.com/columns/jjournal/index.ssf?/base/columns-0/128168174336240.xml&coll=3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Review</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> - (excerpt) - "True horror is far greater than the fear of a monster or even something so simple as death. It is this encompassing of innumerable meanings of horror that "Feeding Ground" does so well, even in the first issue."</span></span><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 130%; font-weight: bold;"><br />
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; font-size: 100%;"></span>Michael Lapinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212539351021166409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865627753263579438.post-25506113046160425232010-08-15T09:25:00.000-07:002010-08-15T09:27:06.075-07:00FEEDING GROUND _ Our First Review!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/FG_LOGO_TREATMENT_V3.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 401px; height: 211px;" src="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/FG_LOGO_TREATMENT_V3.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>MICHAEL here:<br /><br />I'm currently wading in ink trying to finish up pages for Issue 3 but I thought I would share links to our first bit of press for FEEDING GROUND.<br /><br />Both come from the Comic Box column in The Jersey Journal and NJ.com written by William Kulesa. When I was living in Brooklyn, my dad had been cutting out columns of William's reviews for me and it was surreal to talk with him and be featured in the paper.<br /><br />The first is a personal profile/ interview (complete with picture!). So cool to be able to share some early influences and talk a little more about the pitch process.<br /><a href="http://www.nj.com/columns/jjournal/index.ssf?/base/columns-0/1281076894300900.xml&coll=3" target="_blank">http://www.nj.com/columns/jjournal/i...900.xml&coll=3</a><br /><br />And THIS, is one helluva well-written review. It's our first one and such a relief to hear that someone understands what we are going for and that we are delivering on the page. I realize that we will be getting some negative and middling feedback but this one certainly speaks to our intentions and is a warm welcome into the world.<br /><a href="http://www.nj.com/columns/jjournal/index.ssf?/base/columns-0/128168174336240.xml&coll=3" target="_blank">http://www.nj.com/columns/jjournal/i...240.xml&coll=3</a><br /><br />Get a load of this excerpt:<br /><br />"True horror is far greater than the fear of a monster or even something so simple as death. It is this encompassing of innumerable meanings of horror that "Feeding Ground" does so well, even in the first issue."<br /><br />Thanks to William, the Jersey Journal, and my partners Swift and Chris!Michael Lapinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212539351021166409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865627753263579438.post-958490119242342532010-08-02T06:16:00.000-07:002010-08-02T06:17:08.370-07:00FEEDING GROUND _ Solicitation and Podcast<span style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">Michael here:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">In case you missed it, here you have the </span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://www.archaia.com/blog/archaia-october-2010-solicitations">solicitation</a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> for FEEDING GROUND Issue 2 and a </span><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" href="http://www.mikedawsoncomics.com/the-ink-panthers-show-53-featuring-mike-lapinski/">link</a><strong style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> to my first Podcast appearance!</span></strong><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"> With this cover image, I was trying to create a new doomed iconography based on the Christian symbol of the Sacred Heart as well as the Mexican lotería card for "Corazón" to communicate the cursed blood that flows within.</span><br /><br /><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/FG_COVER_02_BLOOD.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 610px;" src="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/FG_COVER_02_BLOOD.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></p><p><strong><br /></strong></p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><strong>FEEDING GROUND #2 (of 6)</strong><br />Retail Price: $3.95 U.S.<br />Page Count: 64 pages<br />Format: saddle bound, 6.625” x 10.25”, full color<br />Written by Chris Mangun and Swifty Lang<br />Illustrated by Michael Lapinski<br />Cover by Michael Lapinski</p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">A local enforcer, Don Oso, terrorizes the Busqueda family as their father Diego makes a solitary trek home through the horrors of the Devil’s Highway. Meanwhile, US Border Patrol agents unearth a shocking discovery that threatens to reveal a secret buried in the desert for generations. Also included are 24 pages of bonus content in Spanish!</p> <p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><strong>T +13</strong> (Contains material suitable for teen readers age 13 and above)</p><p><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/8126_285707165461_285706360461_9057385_1003312_n.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 495px;" src="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/8126_285707165461_285706360461_9057385_1003312_n.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left; font-family: trebuchet ms;">I'm a regular listener to <a href="http://theinkpanthers.mikedawsoncomics.com/">The Ink Panthers Show</a> podcast (a "Fanther") and I was nervous and excited to be asked on as a guest star. Hosted by famed cartoonists <a href="http://www.mikedawsoncomics.com/">Mike Dawson</a> and <a href="http://www.comicbookalex.com/">Alex Robinson</a>, the show is ostensibly a comic book podcast but the topics are all over the map and the main draw is the funny, familiar, conversation held between Mike and Alex.</p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">On <a href="http://theinkpanthers.mikedawsoncomics.com/episode-53-tips-for-sustainable-living-featuring-michael-lapinski/">this episode</a>, I reveal the details of that crucial moment when Archaia accepted my FEEDING GROUND pitch and then the conversation veers off into other bits ranging from Pixar to veganism and my love of cuttlefish.</p><p style="font-family: trebuchet ms;">You can listen off of their website or download and subscribe to the podcast for free through the iTunes store.</p><p><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Ride the Panther!</span><br /></p>Michael Lapinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212539351021166409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865627753263579438.post-81056173718322334272010-07-18T21:40:00.000-07:002010-07-18T21:41:51.490-07:00FEEDING GROUND _ The Pitch<a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/17925893-1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 401px; height: 156px;" src="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/17925893-1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">MICHAEL here:<br /><br />Now that the FEEDING GROUND release date is fast approaching (end of September) I thought I'd cover the structure of our initial pitch.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">The first thing we decided was to format the pitch as a comic with cover art and the same dimensions and binding as an ordinary floppy. Any tips we had researched always recommended the inclusion of 5 pages of comic content so this package seemed like a natural fit.</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/17924993.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 600px;" src="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/17924993.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/17925893.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/17925893.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">After a title page and table of contents, we immediately went into our proposal. It essentially starts with a two-sentence summary of the concept as a hook, then expands into a one-page description, and, finally an issue-by-issue breakdown on the next page. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">We treated the text like any conversation with a stranger. Pique someone's interest at first, and then have the information to merit their attention. And, one important tip we were given was to tell your prospective publisher the ending. Mysteries are good for the reader but most publishers would want to know exactly what they're signing on for.</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/17926645.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/17926645.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Also, mythology is not the story. While the story has a beginning, middle, and end, we chose to include a separate page about the overall mythology we were establishing because we felt it was a unique angle on a familiar topic.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">From there, we had a page of character sketches and bios and a map to start to populate the world in the mind of the reader. That leads to the section that represents 5 pages of finished material. Of these pages, only one has made it into our final book relatively unchanged. However, an editor will be able to judge basic storytelling ability and execution based on these pages. Additionally, we included a few sample covers to communicate the identity of the series as it would appear on the racks.</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/17926973.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 308px;" src="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/17926973.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Finally, we ended with the full Issue 1 script as well as some additional pin-up art. Unlike screenplays, comic scripts do not require particular formatting but Swifty followed a general screenwriting model. Not required, but we also chose to add panel breakdowns for each page.</span><br /><br /><a style="font-family: trebuchet ms;" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/17930365-1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 299px;" src="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/17930365-1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">There isn't any one correct way to present your ideas, but, this is the one that worked for us.</span>Michael Lapinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212539351021166409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865627753263579438.post-86658619336312711902010-06-30T20:47:00.001-07:002010-06-30T20:47:52.606-07:00FEEDING GROUND _ Solicitation Update<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/FG_01_P06_FLAT.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 401px; height: 156px;" src="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/FG_01_P06_FLAT.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Some additional backstory: initially, the <a href="http://www.archaia.com/">Archaia</a> website listed the book a 48 pages (accounting for a flip book in which the book is reprinted in Spanish) for $3.95. One problem, our first issue has 28 pages of content (x 2 = not gonna fit). Then, I went to the <a href="http://previews.diamondcomics.com/public/">Previews</a> site (the distribution catalog for comic sales) and discovered that the book was listed at $5.95 (!) and my jaw dropped. After a fitful night's sleep and some phone calls, Archaia is more than on top of resolving Diamond's typo.<br /><br />In fact, the book will be 64 pages at $3.95. Holeee Mackerel! We were already planning on including some extra content (pin-ups and articles a la <a href="http://www.edbrubaker.com/">Ed Brubaker</a>'s incredible <a href="http://criminalcomic.blogspot.com/">Criminal</a>) but I could not hope for a better package for this book. Thanks and cheers to Archaia for taking a chance on us.<br /><br />One artist that we already have lined up to do some additional art is friend <a href="http://www.tomforget.com/">Tom Forget</a>. His work is the best kind of lurid pulp and a great match to the heat of our material. Warning, most of his images are Not Safe For Work but are perfect for your basement office.Michael Lapinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212539351021166409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865627753263579438.post-69183108433606944552010-06-21T11:17:00.000-07:002010-06-21T11:18:00.240-07:00FEEDING GROUND ISSUE 01 _ SolicitationHERE IT IS!<br /><br />Conceived in the summer of 2008 by Swifty Lang and Chris Mangun, pitched at NYC Comic Con 2009, this puppy has been in production all last year and now has a release date of the last week in September 2010, published by the good people at <a href="http://www.archaia.com/">Archaia</a> (home of "Mouse Guard" and "Fraggle Rock" and some of the highest quality comics of all genres).<br /><br />Flip the book over, and it's such an amazing decision on their part to include the entire issue in Spanish!<br /><br />Thanks for your support - please tell your local comic shop to order you a copy today!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/FG01_Cover_RGB-1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 611px;" src="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/FG01_Cover_RGB-1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />FEEDING GROUND #1 (of 6)<br /><p> Retail Price: $3.95 U.S.<br />Page Count: 48 pages<br />Format: saddle bound, 6.625” x 10.25”, full color<br />Written by Swifty Lang<br />Illustrated by Michael Lapinski<br />Cover by Michael Lapinski</p> <p>This new series is ripped right out of the real-life drama unfolding on the Mexico-Arizona border. FEEDING GROUND reaches a large and diverse audience no matter your personal point of view on the issue. In this factious story, a famine caused by Blackwell Industries drives Diego Busqueda, a noble “coyote,” to lead a band of Mexican border crossers across the unforgiving Devil’s Highway, a desert cursed with blistering days and deadly nights. Back home, Diego’s daughter Flaca discovers that something hungrier prowls the factory fields. Stalked and persecuted, can the Busqueda family maintain their dreams of immigration or will the horrors of the desert tear them apart? Also included is 24 pages of bonus content in Spanish!</p> <p>T +13 (Contains material suitable for teen readers age 13 and above)</p>Michael Lapinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212539351021166409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865627753263579438.post-37081311613067247502010-06-17T13:03:00.001-07:002010-06-17T13:04:15.152-07:00FEEDING GROUND - Cover Development<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/COVER_01_LAYERS_05-2.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 403px; height: 116px;" src="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/COVER_01_LAYERS_05-2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>Michael here:<br /><br />Early on, I became fixated on an image for the series that would have its own iconic weight worthy of images like those used for Jurassic Park and Jaws. What I wanted was a Dia de los Muertos animal skull devouring the sun and a silhouette of one of our lead characters. Not surprisingly, people mistook the skull for that of a dinosaur.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/COVER_01_LAYERS_03.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 396px; height: 594px;" src="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/COVER_01_LAYERS_03.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />I tried a fix in which I altered the skull to seem more like a spectral image, some heatstroke nightmare.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/COVER_01_LAYERS_05-1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 600px;" src="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/COVER_01_LAYERS_05-1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Ultimately, we decided to continue to work the image and communicate the following qualities: horror, Mexico, family, border crossers (our family starring as the silhouettes in the Border Crossing road signs), and unbearable heat.<br /><br />The following two covers seem a little too much like old Del Rey paperbacks in their layout but pointed us in the right direction. The skull from below may seem a little literal as a "feeding ground" but still appealed to me too much to abandon. Also lost the "Western" treatment of the title in favor of something more industrial.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/COVER_01_NEW_A-1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 600px;" src="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/COVER_01_NEW_A-1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/COVER_01_OLD-1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 600px;" src="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/COVER_01_OLD-1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />And this last rough was a bolder departure in which I mined the design elements for a full cover spread.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/NEW_ISH1_01c-1.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 311px;" src="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/NEW_ISH1_01c-1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />The final version will be publicized shortly and I think it hits the right balance of what we're going for and will hopefully stand out on the racks. We've also struck on an overall treatment that is more like a woodcut print that, along with the skull motif, should carry over to all six issues of the mini.Michael Lapinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212539351021166409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865627753263579438.post-66375968935320131252010-03-07T08:37:00.001-08:002010-03-07T08:40:16.594-08:00FROZEN DARK _ The Full Mini-Comic<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/FD_FRONT_COVER_TEXT.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 189px;" src="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/FD_FRONT_COVER_TEXT.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">MICHAEL here:<br /><br />I was never in a band. I never had the after-school garage practices, sweaty basement shows, or packed-van touring. No local fans or feuds among friends. But now, Swifty is right when he says that this Blacklight Comics collaboration is the closest approximation we have to doing the rock band thing. If that's the case, <span style="font-style: italic;">Frozen Dark</span> is our first single.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Here's a <a href="http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0BxRT0gPmrs08NGExNGQ0MTYtN2Q3Yy00ODRmLThjMDktNDYyNTFiOGQyNzgx&hl=en">LINK</a> to the full comic as a Google Doc. We printed a number of copies for the Big Apple Comic Con and there is still the intention to include it in a friend's horror anthology. This doc is also a temporary home as we set up our main site.</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/FD_INSIDE_FRONT_COVER.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 401px; height: 169px;" src="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/FD_INSIDE_FRONT_COVER.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">As our first complete story, there's a lot being worked out on the page.<br /><br /></span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I soon discovered that a cast of young, bald, boys in similar dress was confusing in terms of identifying the players. Although the three main orphans are aged apart, I added a white shawl to our protagonist, Azuba, to better distinguish him with an iconic accent.<br /><br />In terms of illustration influences, I was clearly looking at Asian brushwork, particularly the Vietnamese artist <a href="http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/online_research_catalogues/catalogue_image.aspx?objectId=178332&partId=1&orig=%2fresearch%2fonline_research_catalogues%2frussian_icons%2fcatalogue_of_russian_icons.aspx&numPages=10&currentPage=1&asset_id=158077">Huy</a> <a href="http://www.culture24.org.uk/art/painting+%2526+drawing/landscapes/art13482">Toan</a>, to achieve a line that was as loose and descriptive as possible. I believe I succeeded in exactly one panel (which, from what I hear from other artists and on <a href="http://www.sidebarnation.com/">comic</a> <a href="http://wordballoon.blogspot.com/">podcasts</a>, is a pretty good ratio).</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/22.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 375px; height: 425px;" src="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/22.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I had always pictured designing the page on biased grids to heighten tension, drive focus, and mirror the driving snow. However, I do think the layout can overtake the story at times and I certainly ran into a number of issues when resolving the design across adjacent pages.</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/FD_02_WORK_B.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 600px;" src="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/FD_02_WORK_B.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">We also started with the initial premise of having to make a midnight bathroom trip in a foreboding landscape. Then, the goal was to build to something more without losing the initial sense of dread. It's especially difficult to surprise a comic reader when all of the panels are already visible on the page. There's the added risk of being too opaque or corny or obvious when handling material that should be horrific.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Please take a look and come back to let us know how it read for you.<br /><br />If you're interested, I've also discussed the <a href="http://mlapinski.blogspot.com/2009/10/big-apple-comic-con-frozen-dark.html">story</a> and <a href="http://mlapinski.blogspot.com/2009/09/comic-shading-confession.html">toning</a> of <span style="font-style: italic;">Frozen Dark</span> in previous posts on my personal art blog.<br /></span>Michael Lapinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212539351021166409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865627753263579438.post-64209379363425975542010-02-23T06:40:00.000-08:002010-02-23T06:53:53.160-08:00FEEDING GROUND - The Comics-Related Interview<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/Open.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 402px; height: 123px;" src="http://i618.photobucket.com/albums/tt268/hamgravy_photos/PAWS%20AS%20HANDS/Open.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />Hey Everyone, Michael here:<br /><br />I'm looking to post some of our pitch book art on this blog in the coming weeks but for now I thought I would share an interview I did about the project at the 2009 NYC Comic Con for the comic podcast <a href="http://www.comicrelated.com/">Comic Related</a>.<br /><br />You can find it <a href="http://comicrelated.com/news/737/the-related-recap-69">HERE</a>.<br /><br />Our pitch book was met with a lot of positive feedback and I felt extremely fortunate to be sharing it with comic creators that I have immense respect for.<br /><br />I was showing it to writer Matt Fraction when one of the Comics-Related reporters saw it and asked me to do an interview as well.<br /><br />Very cool to verbalize what we were developing in relationship to other horror myths and graphic styles and it gave me the confidence that it was an idea and creation that could potentially sit on a bookshelf next to other comic works.Michael Lapinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212539351021166409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865627753263579438.post-55537430164991509612010-02-22T10:17:00.000-08:002010-02-22T12:27:14.991-08:00The Logo- Shining the Light<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYv3fFB4Q_e4sNvsHJfv8iFLoXMSpzAeFImP9S-yi8zNiBn5QS2aYELa1rcVu6Xwq5jrLfbBSCo15lghi8owrDlcQvCS28ydYt8TljaAM6ifHAlL9pW9g9wI11zhMrnDREGL122Jv5N94/s1600-h/reading-under-covers.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 242px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYv3fFB4Q_e4sNvsHJfv8iFLoXMSpzAeFImP9S-yi8zNiBn5QS2aYELa1rcVu6Xwq5jrLfbBSCo15lghi8owrDlcQvCS28ydYt8TljaAM6ifHAlL9pW9g9wI11zhMrnDREGL122Jv5N94/s320/reading-under-covers.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441134883829633314" border="0" /></a>SWIFTY here:<br /><br />Blacklight is the outgrowth of the collision of ideas and talents, of a passion for smart horror, and a way to examine contmeporary issues through the lens of 'fringe genres'<br /><br />As much as anything, our flashlight represents not only the way we view the world, but harkens back to a kid reading the latest issue of Creepy underneath his/her blanket past his/her bedtime.<br /><br />Horror is the playground where the uncosnscious and the repressed are allowed to stretch their legs. With so much true horror occuring along the actual Devil's Highway, we understand our greatest challenge is not only shinning the light on the issue, but making sure that the shadows of the werewolf do not obscure the truth.Michael Lapinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212539351021166409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-865627753263579438.post-50744759132305393912010-02-22T08:16:00.000-08:002010-02-22T11:22:56.752-08:00Feeding Ground Origin Story<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8BjzW-FG_kzOF2fWdqXNX5Z4b8hnrZ3QzYekKrUNFBiE2lRYQZBxlvT2HzYNkpYbIg_l15K86iLOkt_1Amr8VrelxlsyYIML7CPNifDQp35W5cnq2m16ldgNEjxbLTwWzfzWGLhHphsk/s1600-h/voltron.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 193px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8BjzW-FG_kzOF2fWdqXNX5Z4b8hnrZ3QzYekKrUNFBiE2lRYQZBxlvT2HzYNkpYbIg_l15K86iLOkt_1Amr8VrelxlsyYIML7CPNifDQp35W5cnq2m16ldgNEjxbLTwWzfzWGLhHphsk/s320/voltron.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441102787428742802" border="0" /></a>SWIFTY here:<br /><br />Firstly, welcome all to the world of Blacklight. I wanted to let you in on our history and how collaboration on Feeding Ground has lead to the best work possible.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Our Origin Story</span>: In the summer of 2007, a friend of mine, Thomas Peyton, an incredible documentary filmmaker recently completed a <a href="http://vimeo.com/thomaspeyton">film</a> on the harrowing journey of a man crossing the border from Mexico into Arizona. His story was riveting and I could not shake it. We also had a conversation on the least represented monster during the Oughts Horror Renaissance. We agreed on the werewolf. He had a great idea for a werewolf story at the time, and again, his words were indelible. The origin of this story is without a doubt based on our conversations.<br /><br />My background is in film and and my first thought is that this story could be represented best through this medium. I presented this story originally to my friend Chris Mangun and he wanted to help me get this off the ground. For me, telling the story to friends and parsing their reactions is paramount to whether or not an idea is worth pursuing. If you can't hold a friend's attention you will never be able to interest an audience.<br /><br />As Chris and I began the script writing process, it became clear to me that the mythology of the story would not be best represented through film. There was a certain aesthetic I knew that I simply could not communicate. For me, the Mexican Day of the Dead color palette was essential in rooting this story in a very particular landscape and imbuing it with the sense of horror it needed.<br /><br />Also, the <a href="http://www.moltenthought.com/images/tales%20from%20the%20crypt%2046%20GIF.gif">EC Horror Comics aesthetic</a> I believed could best be expressed through print (although films such as <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4IbYo5BrAWc">Creepshow</a>, a huge influence, were able to do this successfully). Luckily, Michael Lapinski and I had been friends for a decade.<br /><br />Michael has been my mentor in the world of comics as I did not become an avid reader until my mid-twenties. I am still constantly exposed to new, great work, and awed at the ability of this medium to create such emotional and visceral moments with such visual economy. I am always open to suggestions for reading so please send them my way.<br /><br />A couple of years back I had given Michael <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Posadas-Popular-Mexican-Prints-Posada/dp/0486228541/ref=pd_sim_b_1">Posada's book on Mexican Folk art</a> for his birthday. I was floored by the seeming simplicity of the design, the content (fascination with the dead), and the color palette itself. Little did I know how significant the connection would be.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">On forming Blacklight</span>: I recognized immediately that what was needed in order to bring this to life was a partnership of all of our talents. Chris and I had talked shop on writing for years (he and I both write ficiton) so our working together was a logical equation. Whether Mike was as taken by the story as we were was the question.<br /><br />I think what we all recognized was the importance of this story and furthermore, how universal the crossing narrative is. Leaving one's homeland for a new world of opportunity is a universal story as much as anything. I also personally was teaching ESL at the time and was reminded essentially, everyone's family has sacrificed to come to this country. That simple truth is obscured by a lot of xenophobia these days, but that is another discussion entirely.<br /><br />Each of us brought a unique set of skills and perspectives to this project. So, much like the robot at the top, I knew it was time to 'Voltron'; form something greater with the sum of the parts.Michael Lapinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03212539351021166409noreply@blogger.com0