2010 _ Blacklight Bites

MICHAEL here:

I posted a deeper (longer) reflection on the year on my art blog Paws as Hands but I wanted to add a few quick hits here for some standout Blacklight moments:

- 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 LAST MINUTE COMICS crew.



- Traveling to San Diego 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.


- 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.


- Being a regular listener of the INK PANTHERS Podcast and then being invited on as a guest. 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.


- 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.

FEEDING GROUND _ Press and Reviews

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.
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AIN'T IT COOL NEWS - By Ambush Bug
July 2011

One of our favorite critics, and a storyteller in his own right (check out his totally unique Vampire series Nanny & Hank), 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.

INTERVIEW - (excerpt) - "...an original and extremely well crafted take on werewolves and the Mexican border."
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GEEKS OF DOOM - By The Insomniac
April 2011

The Insomniac had a chance to sit down with the first four issues of the book and offered this thoughtful review.

REVIEW - (excerpt) - "Feeding Ground is a top rate comic and unique idea."

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FANGORIA - By Jorge Sollis

April 2011

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.

REVIEW - (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." 

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THE PULLBOX - By Eric @The Pullbox.com
March 2011


After a conversation with Chris Mangun at C2E2, Eric penned this excellent review of FEEDING GROUND.


REVIEW- (excerpt) - "...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."

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MTV GEEK - By Charles Webb

January 2011

Swifty had a chance to chat about FEEDING GROUND with then newly-launched MTV Geek. 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.

INTERVIEW - (excerpt)- "...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?

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RENDERWRX PRODUCTIONS - "COVERLESS" Reviews December, 2010

REVIEW - (excerpt) - "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."
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THE OUTHOUSE - "Fourthman Reviews" by Lee Newman
November, 2010

REVIEW - (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."
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COMIC RELATED - "Why I Love Comics" by Eric Ratcliffe October, 2010


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.


REVIEW - (excerpt) - "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! "


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AIN'T IT COOL NEWS
October, 2010


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." REVIEW - (excerpt) - "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."


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WHERE MONSTERS DWELL - Episode 121
October, 2010


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.


LISTEN HERE:
http://wheremonstersblog.blogspot.com/2010/10/episode-121-with-creators-of-feeding.html

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THE NEW YORK TIMES
October, 2010



This little local rag did a feature on "comic-related gems" in NYC and included Bergen Street Comics 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.


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WEREWOLF NEWS
September, 2010
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.
INTRO - (excerpt) - "The Wrong Night in Texas 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."


Q&A - (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."


Also great feedback 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." ------------------------------------------------------


THE INK PANTHERS SHOW - Episode #53 August, 2010
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.


LISTEN HERE:
http://www.mikedawsoncomics.com/the-ink-panthers-show-53-featuring-mike-lapinski/

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THE COMIC BOX
July, 2010
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.


Interview 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."
Review - (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."

FEEDING GROUND _ Solicitation and Podcast

Michael here:

In case you missed it, here you have the solicitation for FEEDING GROUND Issue 2 and a link to my first Podcast appearance! 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.

FEEDING GROUND #2 (of 6)
Retail Price: $3.95 U.S.
Page Count: 64 pages
Format: saddle bound, 6.625” x 10.25”, full color
Written by Chris Mangun and Swifty Lang
Illustrated by Michael Lapinski
Cover by Michael Lapinski

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!

T +13 (Contains material suitable for teen readers age 13 and above)

I'm a regular listener to The Ink Panthers Show podcast (a "Fanther") and I was nervous and excited to be asked on as a guest star. Hosted by famed cartoonists Mike Dawson and Alex Robinson, 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.

On this episode, 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.

You can listen off of their website or download and subscribe to the podcast for free through the iTunes store.

Ride the Panther!