We’re in the Onion!
We’re in the Onion!
We’ve got a lot of what it takes to get a blurb!
This will be in the print issue this Thursday:
COMICS OF NOTE
“…Dr. Blink: Superhero Shrink (is) a witty, fast-paced, intelligent spoof that pokes eruditely into superhero psyches, launches a complicated, multi-thread story, and still leaves room for snarky lines like “With great power comes not being a dumbass”…”
*****
SPAM Subject Line Haiku of the Day.
By John Kovalic.
And his spammers.
faster cheaper meds
render photo cops useless
Congratulations!
*****
With all the Onion stuff, I forgot to mention two REALLY cool reviews Dork Tower #30’s received.
(1) There’s a nice Dork Tower #30 review over at Comixtreme.com
Review by: Blake M. Petit Blake@comixtreme.com
Quick Rating: Very Good
Title: The Tao of Igor
The world according to Igor.
Writer: John Kovalic
Art: John Kovalic
Colors: John Kovalic
Letters: John Kovalic
Dr. Blink Back-Up: John Kovalic and Christopher Jones
Lethargic Lad Back-Up: Greg Hyland
Cover Art: John Kovalic
Publisher: Dork Storm
Review: With many of his characters at a crossroads, John Kovalic takes this issue for all of them to receive counseling at the hands of one character that will never change – the good-natured geek Igor. Wanting only to help, Igor talks to both Matt and Kayleigh, struggling from their quasi-breakup and (in Matt’s case because Gilly has flown off to Europe. He talks to Carson about his money problems and filters everything through an ancient Zen tale about the empty mind and seeing the obvious. One of which applies to Igor, the other doesn’t.
Although the story is driven by the other characters, this issue is very much about Igor himself, about how he views the world, and about how he’s found his own brand of inner peace even through his utter lunacy. It’s a funny, funny little character piece that works extremely well.
Kovalic chose to print this issue of the usually black-and-white title in color, and that works too. It’s clear that this book isn’t usually a color title, as some of the colors look a little washed-out, almost like a photocopy. However, for some of Igor’s “Zen” scenes, he applies a texture that gives the images a look of old parchment, which adds tremendously to the artwork and would never work in black-and-white.
We’ve got a few back-ups here as well, some extra Dork Tower strips and a short Dr. Blink, Superhero Shrink story, where he counsels a vaguely familiar arachnid-based superhero with severe depression. Like all Dr. Blink strips, it’s a great superhero satire.
This is a good issue. The color isn’t necessary (nor is it permanent, I think, based on this issue’s “Muskrat Ramblings” column), but it is welcome.
(2) From ComixFan.com
Reviewer: Raul Grau, RJacknite@aol.com
Story Title: The Tao of Igor
http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=32451
Dork Tower… in… COLOR!
Creator, Story, and Art: John Kovalic
Dork Storm Press
Welcome to Dork Tower. Here, four friends spend their waking hours playing the latest expansion pack for the Warhamster Roleplaying Game, as well as talking about comic books, video games, television shows, and movies (especially movies with the word ‘Star’ in the title). So, basically, their world is your world. Oh, did I mention that one of the four is a talking muskrat? Ok, aside from the whole ‘being a muskrat’ thing, it is still pretty much like your world, just funnier. And now, for the first time, their world is in full color too.
In this Dork offering, Igor (the… ummm, slow one) finds his friends suffering from several existential maladies, from a troubled love life to financial difficulties, and tries to help each by sharing his peculiar world view, which consists of a blending of Eastern philosophy and scifi quotes. With advice like ‘The mind is the Bodhi tree. The body is the mirror stand. The mirror is Seven of Nine from Star Trek Voyager,’ how can things go wrong? At the same time, we are treated to a Zen tale of a man, two tigers, and the sweetest berry of all, reworked with Igor in the main role. As you can guess, with a gamer in the driver’s seat, he is perpetually one saving throw away from true enlightenment.
The main tale is followed by two short Dork vignettes, one bridging the gap between RPGs and Scrabble, and the other filled with helpful tips for beating the winter blues with 12-sided dice. In all cases, John Kovalic skewers the world of geekdom to hilarious results. Each page flows like a single comic strip, with a ready punchline at the end, and then the pleasure of another page to follow. In true cartoon fashion, each character resembles their personality, and a talking muskrat is just one of the boys. Kovalic has a knack for depicting emotion, particularly exasperation, which is a common result when Igor is about.
With the Dork done, there is a short Dr. Blink: Superhero Shrink strip, written by Kovalic with art by the extremely talented Christopher Jones. In this installment, the specialist in supra-human psychosis has a session with the Amazing Arachno-Lad, who is suffering from continuity-induced depression. His irresponsibility led to the death of uncle, his ex-girlfriend fell off a bridge, his boss hates him, and do not get him started about his Aunt June. Spider-Man fans beware, there is forty years of angst in these two pages. Oh, and if you happen to forget to schedule your next appointment with the Doctor, the full-sized first issue of Dr. Blink is out next week.
Last up, a tale of Lethargic Lad, by his creator Greg Hyland. For those too young to recall the 90s heights of Lethargic-ness, the Lad is Larry Lardhands, heroic (if quiet) protector of Infantino City. In this adventure, Kitty Cat Guy pulls a bank heist, and only Lethargic Lad, along with his sidekick, Little Green Boy, can stop a giant cat from going all Stay-Puffed Marshmallow Man. Along the way, we are taught a valuable lesson about inflation, and Walrus-Boy provides some fun facts about football. Who says that comics can’t be educational?
Did I mention that the entire issue is in full color, all for the low low price of $2.99? Ok, now go out and buy it, or I will shoot this muskrat.
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