I'm on twitter @stevewmorris, where I am a rabbit.
Steve Morris
Assembling an All-Ages Adventure: J. Torres, Corin Howell and Maarta Laiho Reflect on ‘The Mighty Zodiac’
Released last year through Oni Press, The Mighty Zodiac assembled not just one but two impressive team-ups. Not only did the series join up characters who represent the 12 signs of the Chinese Zodiac --- from tiger to rat to pig to cat --- but also brought us the creative team of writer J. Torres, artist Corin Howell, and colorist Maarta Laiho. Together, they channeled a shared interest in the classical Disney movie style into a series filled with charm and heart.
With the trade collection of the series planned to release from Oni in March, ComicsAlliance reassembled the creative trio to ask about how they first came together as the team, how the story developed from a concept to the final comic, and the challenges of taking a concept like the zodiac and turning it into a story of its own. Along the way, they discuss the series' influences, why it was important for this to be an all-ages story which anybody can enjoy... and why bunnies are the bad guys.
Weekender: Ezra Claytan Daniels, ‘Mistlands’, And Berger Books
The weekend is here! Take a look back at what’s happened in the past seven days. New comics, new stories, new podcasts, new art being made — it’s all part of the ComicsAlliance Weekender!
Cartoonist Katie Longua And Chiptune Musician Accumulator Join Forces For ‘Her Space Opera’ [Interview]
Artist Katie Longua has long been a favorite here at ComicsAlliance, creating distinctive, vibrant comics that sing with energy and jump straight off the page. After the success of her madcap risograph comic Munchies, it became clear that she's an artist with a kaleidoscope in her mind and a hugely exciting future in comics. Her newest project, Her Space Opera, is another ambitious, visually stunning piece of work.
In collaboration with chiptune musician Accumulator, every page of the comic is accompanied by a different song from his newest album. Designed with his songs in mind, the comic creates a journey through space and creates a singular approach to narrative. Longua came onto the project with the album already in the works, and set about bending the music into visual life. ComicsAlliance spoke to Longua and Accumulator about how their collaboration came about.
Golden Age Superheroes Return in ‘Not Forgotten’ [Back Pages]
The Golden Age of comics is best remembered for the creation of the iconic superheroes such as Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman. But for every lasting success story, there were other characters who were created and then seemingly forgotten. Whatever happened to those heroes?
A new anthology spearheaded by Einar Másson and Matt Harding looks to answer that question. Not Forgotten is a collection of stories that revives some of the other heroes of the Golden Age, in the hopes of returning these relics to new relevance. With an impressive line-up of creators, the anthology is currently running on Kickstarter, seeking a funding target of $25,000. ComicsAlliance spoke to Másson and Harding about how the project came together.
Weekender: Jiro Taniguchi, Fascist-Punching, And ‘Secrets of the Goat People’
The weekend is here! Take a look back at what’s happened in the past seven days. New comics, new stories, new podcasts, new art being made — it’s all part of the ComicsAlliance Weekender!
Weekender: Bernie Wrightson, Queers & Comics, And American Hero Jane Mai
The weekend is here! Take a look back at what’s happened in the past seven days. New comics, new stories, new podcasts, new art being made — it’s all part of the ComicsAlliance Weekender!
Nika Hits The Stage As Her Webcomic ‘Love Debut’ Comes To Print [Back Pages]
For the last few years, artist Nika, aka Deandra Tan, has been working on a long-form romance comic called Love Debut! Inspired by shoujo manga, the series follows aspiring musician Nick as he rises through the pop world, which brings him into the orbit of Sara, a former singer who is far more wary of the music world. Their romance is the center of the story, but from there Nika spirals out and creates a whole world for them to live in.
With the webcomic recently wrapping up after a three year run, Nika has taken to Kickstarter to fund a print edition of the comic. To find out more about how she created Sara and Nick's world, Back Pages spoke to her about the origin of the series, how things have developed over the years, and what people can expect from her Kickstarter.
Weekender: NYT Best Sellers, John Watkiss, And ‘The Girl Who Flew Away’
The weekend is here! Take a look back at what’s happened in the past seven days. New comics, new stories, new podcasts, new art being made — it’s all part of the ComicsAlliance Weekender!
Five Stars: Jimmy Palmiotti Guides Us From Eternity to New York City
Jimmy Palmiotti knows the comics industry. I don't just mean that he knows how it operates, although his thirty-year career has proved that to be the case; Jimmy Palmiotti literally knows everybody in the comics industry, having started out as a freelance inker working with people like Gene Colan before turning his hand to writing and publishing.
Palmiotti has been at the heart of the industry throughout his career as part of the New York comics scene, and his work has pushed publishers to be more bold and creative. We spoke to him about five of his career milestones.
Weekender: Magdalene Visaggio, “Band Vs Band” and Rep. John Lewis’ Winning ‘March’ to Bestseller Status
The weekend is here! Take a look back at what’s happened in the past seven days. New comics, new stories, new podcasts, new art being made — it’s all part of the ComicsAlliance Weekender!