Penny Arcade: The Series started in November 2009, revealing what Krahulik and Holkins' brainchild has created ever since their introduction in 1998.

Upon learning about PATV in December 2009, I instantly became a fan of it. Being a fan of the comic Penny Arcade for a long while, I was surprised to come upon it on their website a month after it had started. To clarify, PATV is the online channel which currently hosts two video series—Penny Arcade: The Series and Blamimation with Kris & Scott.

PA: The Series is a behind-the-scenes/reality-TV look at the makings of Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins’ syndicate, including their work in their charity Child’s Play, their dealings with other video game companies, and of course their work in comics. A new episode comes up every Friday, and I’ve enjoyed every episode as of this moment.

Blamimation is the fucked-up brainchild of Kris Straub (Starslip, chainsawsuit) and Scott Kurtz (PvP). And I do mean that in the most complimentary of ways. The series happens monthly, and it contains hilarious animations done (and mostly voiced by) the two comic artists. It’s been a fun watch so far, and I can’t wait to see more.

I’m unsure if any more series will be added to the PATV roster but if there is I’d love to see more!

Jeph Jacques' attempt at making his comic syndicate-friendly.

I’m back from the Land of the Dead—in my case, North York—and I still have a number of blog entries to do here at The Boar until I’m done! Apparently, I have the choice to post for another term, so I figured I’ll keep on going until then!

Initially, I was going to talk about what I’ve learned about the writing process when it comes to comics. Rather, I’d like to point you to, of all things, a meme started on Twitter. Yep, instead of giving you all a list of self-learned tips that could help expand your creative mind, I’m giving you a list of badly-made comics. It’s got the same academic effect I had in mind, but it teaches it so much better.

Questionable Content creator Jeph Jacques started #ifitweresyndicated, a Twitter hashtag thread where Jacques has asked “every webcartoonist [he] know[s] to do a shitty syndicated version of their comic and post it on twitter” (2:40 PM, Jan. 13/10). While it’s only been two days, it’s spawned a large amount of replies containing badly written gags, imitating some of the worst newspaper-syndicated comics and comic puns known to date. From satires of vagely racist puns in syndicate comics to overdoses of fall-on-your-back pun responses, this is some of the most brilliant crap I’ve seen in a while.

Though I’m a fan of comics, such works from syndication have become more and more of an unimpressive thing as years have passed. Last week I checked the Saturday Star’s list of funnies hoping that it would correct me on such an assumption. But no. Save for a few, these comics still suck.

I’ve learned two things from writing this entry: (1) newspaper comics continue to fade into a slow and brutal death, and (2) I have no idea how to reference a Twitter post in MLA.

A KlockWorx/Studio Khara Film
Directed by: Hideaki Anno, Masayuki, Kazuya Tsurumaki
Written by: Hideaki Anno
Starring: Megumi Ogata, Megumi Hayashibara, Yuko Miyamura, Maaya Sakamoto

Promo poster, "Evangelion: 2.0" (2009)

At the time the original TV series was released in 1995 in Japan, Neon Genesis Evangelion was a brutally fresh look at the sub-genre of mecha anime, combining bio-mechanical technology with Christian/Gnostic theology. After viewing Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone at the 2008 Waterloo Festival for Animated Cinema (WFAC) I was very stoked for writer/director Hideaki Anno’s recreation of his magnum opus. Not only was it re-mastered and re-edited for a smoother flowing story, it also proved that Anno’s creation is still prominent in the world of animated television and film.

What I didn’t expect to see from Anno is the entirety that is Evangelion: 2.0 at WFAC 2009. While the first film was very close to the original six episodes of the series, the story is almost completely re-written in EVA: 2.0.  Characters, relationships, and details of the world take an extremely significant detour from its former story. These changes range from Asuka Langley Soryu’s last-name change—to Shikinami—to the inclusion of Mari, a new pilot of an EVA, the film’s 50-foot bio-mech suits. This isn’t the Evangelion everyone remembers; the story is more intense than it’s ever been and is dynamically different, even better than the original series.

Mari is a newly added character in the Rebuild of Evangelion continuity. Artwork courtesy Yoshiyuki Sadamoto.

Relationships between the characters are more developed in EVA: 2.0. The father-son relationship between the main character Shinji Ikari and his father Gendou has been improved as well as the connection between Shinji, Asuka and Rei—the three children who pilot the Japanese EVAs.  When things go awry you feel sympathy for the victims in the film even more so than in the series.

The animation is top-notch, fusing 2D and CGI elements harmoniously. The action scenes really need to be seen. From skydiving while firing an automatic rifle to running on the fortress city of Tokyo-3’s rising walls to change course of direction, the EVAs’ over-the-top acrobatics and manoeuvres are stylish and just plain cool to watch.

Shiro Sagisu’s music work still plays an important role in the film. From overdrive-guitar ballads to heavy brass compositions, the tension in the film rises as the soundtrack plays. The music does a great job portraying the insanity in the characters, playing children’s songs at the darkest parts of the story. There is one instance where the happy music came in earlier than expected though, which will bring out a good chuckle from its viewers until ripped flesh and guts start to fly around.

Anno’s EVA: 2.0 has me very excited for the final two films in his proposed tetralogy. His magnum opus is improved and I cannot wait to see the next chapter. It’s not for the faint of heart: the children who pilot the EVAs are psychologically unstable, the play on the Gnostic mythos may be a bit much for some, and the mature themes in this film are very frequent. Nevertheless, Anno has done something I’ve never expected to see—he has made something groundbreaking today using a concept he made that was groundbreaking over a decade ago.

The Waterloo Festival for Animated Cinema is on its 9th run this year.

Sorry for the late post, everyone! I’ve been back and forth in studies for my final term, that I’ve lost track of time.

Currently, the Waterloo Festival for Animated Cinema is running this weekend at the Gig Theatre (137 Ontario Street, Kitchener). While the event started on Thursday evening, it’s continuing until Sunday at 3:30 PM. Joseph Chen’s big project is one of my favourite things about this city, and I recommend all fans of animation to check it out!

Promo, "Kick-Ass" (2010)

Two films have peaked my interest in the past month or so, and they both have the same story concept. What these films approach is an age-old question held by many comic book fans: what does it take for an average person to become a superhero?

Matthew Vaughn’s Kick-Ass, based on the Icon/Marvel comic series by John Romita, Jr. and Mark Millar, follows the life of Dave Lizewski, a.k.a. Kick-Ass (played by Aaron Johnson), and his sole dream of becoming a masked superhero. From what it looks like, there’s going to be quite a bit of cool and stylish action, as well as some big-name actors in the movie such as Nic Cage and Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Superbad, Role Models). I’ve yet to read the comic, but this movie has definitely got me interested in it. The movie is set for release on April 16, 2010.

Promo poster, "Defendor" (2009)

The other film is Peter Stebbings’ comedy-drama Defendor (TIFF profile link included), starring Woody Harrelson as Arthur Poppington/Defendor. While the approach for this film is more realistic, and Harrelson’s character is the most awkward wannabe superhero I’ve seen to date, I have to give props to Harrelson’s use of the new-age Batman voice that Christian Bale has made so popular. Other big names include Kat Dennings (Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist) and Sandra Oh (Grey’s Anatomy). Defendor is said to be out before the end of the year.

While both films look to be really entertaining, my tip of the hat goes to Kick-Ass because its another fresh exposure of new-era comics. That and it looks like it’ll be really fun to watch.

Sometimes when I can’t think of an idea or I feel uninspired I go to a small website called QuotesOnComics.com by Paulo Patrício. Inspired by the site QuotesOnDesign.com (which is also good), it’s a great source for ideas and concepts shared by a collection of comic artists and writers, as well as anyone who’s mentioned the influence of comics in their lives.

www.quotesoncomics.com, by Paulo Patrício

My particular favourite quotation comes from Drawn & Quarterly’s own Seth, whom is referenced to have said the following:

“A cartoonist has a very isolated job. You sit in a room with yourself everyday, all day. You have to come to some sort of truce with yourself. It is difficult to do, and easy to become depressed or melancholic.”

In case you’re wondering, Alexa Kitchen’s only 12 years old and she already has an extensive collection of works.

This is probably one of the coolest things I’ve seen in the past while. Born in 1997, Alexa Kitchen started making comics around the age of five—which was around the time I started to get more into drawing, so she’s way ahead of me and my work. Her most recent book is called Grown-Ups Are Dumb! (No Offense), which is a look into the world of a young intellect…by a young intellect! Released earlier last month, it’s her first published book, and it makes me feel hopeful for the current youth generation.

For more information about Kitchen and if you’re hankering for a read of some of her other comics, you can find her at www.alexakitchen.com/.

Comic writer Nat Gertler created 24 Hour Comics Day in 2004, many years after Scott McCloud's challenge was born.

This Saturday, October 3 marks an annual event known by many comics fans. Dubbed 24 Hour Comics Day, this masochistic endurance test was born by one Nat Gertler in 2004, and is based after the brainchild challenge of Scott McCloud in 1990. The day serves as an invite for its celebrants to create a 24-page comic in one solar-calendar day.

A number of shops, libraries, and cafés around different parts of the world leave their facilities open for any takers, supplying each comic creator with art gear, paper, and a hell of a load of caffeinated drinks and snacks. Unfortunately, there’s nothing open in the K/W area, but if you happen to be in Mississauga for the weekend and you’ve got nothing to lose, Image Collections has a station open from noon that day.

As a note, this day works like Valentine’s Day—there’s nothing stopping you from making a 24 hour comic any other day, but this day is a momentous time to do it. I’m really excited to do this, but it’s more fun to do it with others and I haven’t found any other takers yet to join me. That, and I need to be at my healthiest before I begin, and I’m currently recovering from a flu. Although this may be the swift, spiritual kick to the face I need to brighten my days.

For more info on 24 Hour Comics Day, check out www.24hourcomicsday.com.

Octopus Pie, by Meredith Gran (www.octopuspie.com)

Those who are big-time fans of the New York middle-class urban lifestyle—a world of organic living shops, postmodern thinking, and a backwards-hyperactive appreciation of aviator sunglasses and shutter shades—will probably find something to like in Meredith Gran’s Octopus Pie. It’s more than just today’s “indie” material though; despite the use of hipsters, stoners, and loners as the cast, there are very few flat characters.

This is fortunate for fans like me. The hipster scene kinda scares me.

Eve stands as a great protagonist: flawed, cynical, detached and scared out of her wits. After starting in 2007, Octopus Pie is 20 chapters strong. Currently it’s updating chapter-by-chapter instead of page-by-page, so those who haven’t been reading this comic should have some time to catch up. Her comic can be found at www.octopuspie.com.

Blankets, by Craig Thompson

If you’ve ever read a significantly healthy number of comics – whether it’d be a few long-form comic books or a tonne of Peanuts (Shultz) or Calvin and Hobbes (Watterson) comic strips – chances are that there was one pivotal comic you read that made you realize that there’s something appealing about the comics medium. That comic on its own probably showed you what kind of comics you’re into, what form of the medium you enjoy more, and how you particularly like the artwork and writing in a comic. Do you prefer superhero comics? Is the indie or underground comic scenes more your thing? Are you a worshipper of the Sunday Funnies? Perhaps you’re a hybrid of these persuasions?

As I’ve mentioned, while my first graphic novel was Craig Thompson’s Blankets, it wasn’t my first heartstring-pulling comic. It did inspire me to continue reading, writing about, and creating comics even more so than I had planned. Blankets whet my palate for long-form comics, but Megatokyo created my first spark for the medium. While the story in Fred Gallagher’s webcomic has become slightly convoluted in the past few years, and the frequency of updates for each page has been slim during those same years, I’m still loyal to it. Gallagher’s work has shown me why I’m a bigger webcomics fan than anything else, and I have a hard time leaving that.

Megatokyo by Fred Gallagher, www.megatokyo.com

His comic is his day-job thanks to selling merchandise, he expresses his thoughts of the day on his blog, and he’s gone through a lot to achieve what he has today. Since his work is based on the Net, learning about what he’s done through the years makes it easier to understand his body of work. I think that’s why I like webcomics; it’s a very personal expression. Arguably, I’d say it can be more personal than your typical autobiographical comic.

What was your influential first? I’d really like to know; it explains a lot about a person, knowing what comic started off their fandom, whether it is casual or hardcore. If you haven’t read any comics – a concept I find daunting, especially for today’s literary generations – I can say that there is at least one comic out there for you. You just need to find it. Great places to find comics to your liking, based on personal preference, include the following:

The internet. There are so many webcomics out there, that you should be able to find the sub-sub-niche sub-genre you’ve been hunting down for so many years. Be aware though that since the internet has no filter, not all webcomics out there are good.

Comic shops. Once infested with nothing but raunchy-odour nerds in the late 80s to the mid-to-late 90s, the shops have become significantly more divine since the turn of the century. Shops that I’d recommend in particular include Hamilton’s Big B Comics, Waterloo’s Carry On Comics, Kitchener’s Looking For Heroes, and the mother of all Ontario comic shops, Toronto’s The Beguiling.

Public libraries. Believe it or not, a lot of public libraries love comics. Most of, if not all of the Toronto Reference Library’s first floor is the Graphic Novel section. The Waterloo Public Library doesn’t have that shabby a collection either.

Friends. There’s a good chance that one or two of your friends may have a comic that would peak your interests. If friends can share the same taste in music or theatre, than why not comics?

Bookstores. While places like Chapters have a wide variety of trade comics nowadays, there’s a reason why I find this my lowest preference. Many comic shops have been dwindling in business because of chain departments handling comics, and I find it leaves a bit of an odd aftertaste in my mouth. Many employees at a comic shop also know more about their products, since it’s a big reason they work there unlike typical store clerks. Since comics can come out in multiple volumes and editions, it’s best to only go to bookstores as a last resort for things like reference books on comics.