The Cross Hatch Dispatch
[Above, Lucy Knisley has e-books' backs. Below, the Dispatch, now with more scrolling!]
The Cross Hatch Dispatch | nshoema1 November 22, 2009 | 
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Guest Strip: Paul Abbamondi
After making the journal comic series MyLifeComics for about two years, Paul Abbamondi finally took the plunge into fiction.
His webcomic Supertown follows the adventures of two best friends, Will and Kyle, who believe themselves to be their town’s only hope against the many nefarious villains that want to see it crumble. He describes the project as Home Movies meets superheroes meets something else.
Abbamondi is also a speculative fiction short story writer, and has been published in magazines like Apex Digest, Farrago’s Wainscot, and Shimmer, among others.
He’s staying indoors for the rest of 2009, but does hope to make it to SPX and some other cons in 2010.
Tags: MyLifeComics, Paul Abbamondi, Supertown, webcomics
Guest Strip | smorean November 20, 2009 | Comments (0)
The Cross Hatch Dispatch | bheater November 19, 2009 | Comments (0)
Ochre Ellipse #3 by Jonas Madden-Connor
Ochre Ellipse #3
by Jonas Madden-Connor
Family Style
It’s difficult to say something new about the simplicity and preciousness of youth, but in Ochre Ellipse #3, I believe Jonas Madden-Connor has done it.
Childhood is such a primitive, potent time in a person’s life; it’s no wonder that memories from that time eventually become lore. In the hands of a capable storyteller, otherwise common occurrences like bullying become rich, comedic, thought-provoking tales that offer a “new” perspective on growing up.
But that’s not what I mean when I say that Madden-Connor’s latest mini-comic offers unique take on youth. What I mean to say is that, while most authors weave wisdom into chaos, they are still showing us a familiar thing that, ultimately, we relate to because those things have happened to us. Most stories operate on the need for audience projection — people seeing themselves in the work, empathizing and liking it — but this is a device that Ochre Ellipse #3 cleverly sidesteps. It finds other interesting ways of making its point about youth, memory and nostalgia.
Cat Burglar Black by Richard Sala
Cat Burglar Black
By Richard Sala
First Second Books
Surveying the world of sequential art over the past couple of decades, it’s difficult not to bemoan the contemporary state of comics for kids. The late 80s was the beginning of the end for the happy arrested development of superhero books, which, for once, began to grow up with their audience, thanks to likes of Alan Moore and Frank Miller.
What started as a break from the pack soon grew into the industry standard, as the books that once wholeheartedly embraced the restrictions of the industry nearly all adopted a “gritty realism,” in an attempt to keep up with the R rated action films, which were quickly stealing away their audience.
Of course, even during this period, facets of the industry were still attempting to draw a young readership, but these titles largely suffered on the other side of the censorship spectrum, offering the manner of over-safe affair that has been allowed to flourish in this post-Disney society.
For a number of years, very little middle ground has existed between these two extremes, and few in the industry have allowed creativity to flourish in the kids’ market. The manner of weird and wonderful books that so enthralled and engaged us in our own childhoods have largely vanished from the landscape. Over the past couple of years, however, something has happened—there’s been a minor renaissance in the world of kids comics, a youthful microcosm of the industry at large.
Reviews | bheater November 18, 2009 | Comments (1)
Interview: Neil Swaab Pt. 3
In this third and final part of our interview with the Rehabilitating Mr. Wiggles artist, we discuss Superjail, writing Hollywood screenplays, and why Neil Swaab is in hot water with the world’s Webcartoonists.
Interviews | bheater November 17, 2009 | Comments (2)
The Daily Cross Hatch Goes Comic Book Club Tomorrow
[Image shamefully stolen from AVClub.com]
Apologizes for the late notice—we only found about this appearance in the last couple of days, but that’s how we play things in the comic book world, fast and loose. Cross Hatch columnist and part-time TV star Timmy Williams and myself will be appearing on Comic Book at the People’s Improv Theater tomorrow in New York, along with Dennis Calero, who draws Wolverine for a living and therefore almost certainly has a much better job than you.
If you live in the greater New York area and have never been to the show, I highly recommend it—even on those rare occasions when I don’t force myself into the lineup. It’s funny and fun and there are valuable prizes to be won. Show starts at 8PM, check out the Facebook page for more information.
–BH
Events | bheater November 16, 2009 | Comments (0)
The Cross Hatch Dispatch 11.16.09
[Above, Rick Parker is really pushing it. Below, Dispatch on the tracks.]
Interview: Jerry Moriarty Pt. 2 [of 4]
In this second part of our interview with the Jack Survives artist, we discuss the influence of EC Comics, Jerry Moriarty’s fascination with “cool,” and the role that Alvin Buenaventura plays as, “the adult” in his life.
[Part One]
The Daily Cross Hatch Dispatch 11.15.09
[Above, comics blow up Gene Yang's brain. Below, the exploding plastic Dispatch.]
The Cross Hatch Dispatch | nshoema1 November 15, 2009 | Comments (0)
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