Issue: Dick’s Anthology
Writers: James Andre, Tom Taylor, Jason Franks, Jen Breach
Artist: Thomas Bonin
Publisher: Name
Release Date: 2010
Pages: 60
Price: $16.00

“Thomas Bonin illustrates four short stories of tentacles, Gorgons, Singapore and the undead. Follow private dicks Tom and Bill as they battle their way through four of Australia’s top indie and professional writers.”

Artwork: 4.5 out of 5
Each story in the Dicks Anthology is drawn by Thomas Bonin and each one is amazing. The detail in the black and white images just make my jaw drop to the floor. It is the monsters in the stories that make me use the word GORE-Geous though. The black and whites work so well here, and I have to think that if any grey tones had been used it would have taken away from the overall visual storytelling. I throw some special mention to the story Us of Them because of the amazing decapitations. Overall this book looks great and your eyes will melt with joy when you take a look.

Story: 4.5 out of 5
All four stories in this book are fantastic. Humor prevails in every story where you can easily. The stories themselves move at a great pace, and each has some great action moments. There was not a single moment where I was not glued to the page wondering what would happen next and then seeing it play out. Overall the writing in the book is on point page after page, and that is not easy to come by with different writers. However when your writers are Andre, Taylor, Franks and Breach, I can easily see how something like this could happen.

Dying Breath: 4.5 out of 5
This is not the Dicks book that most people here in America are thinking of. This book is a great take on humor and horror that I can highly suggest find some space on your shelves. The book looks fantastic and the monsters are drop dead GORE-Geous. The storytelling is spot on and I can not say anything more. This book rocks, rolls and is in control from the moment you pick it up until the moment your done reading it and screaming for more.

If you would like to buy or know more about Dicks you can find it at http://www.blackboox.net/products/Dicks.html

Issues: Motel Hell #1-3
Writer: Matt Nixon
Artist: Chris Moreno
Colors: Tom Smith
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Release Date: 2011
Pages: 24 (each)
Price: $3.99 (each)

“Welcome back to America’s favorite cinematic psycho siblings, Vincent & Ida Smith as these two insane farmers recruit some new prospective “crops” for their special garden. A group of wine snobs are flown into to their Napa Valley winery for the time, as in last, of their lives!”

Artwork: 4.0 out of 5
Damn that’s a big hog! Want to know what I mean by that, then I guess you would have to read Motel Hell. These books had a great gritty look to them, that placed me directly where I needed to be. Sadly I have not seen the original movie, but I am guessing that the character designs are spot on. The new cast looks great as well. The one thing that this book had going for it was the gore factor, and for that alone I have to say it was a GORE-Geous collection of issues. Sadly the first issue seemed to have some rough spots with pixellated images, but overall I loved the look of this series.

Story: 4.0 out of 5
Again I need to mention, I have not seen the original movie, but how cool is it that a comic book sequel would make me want to run to the video store to find a copy! This story had everything I needed to give me a classic slasher movie feel. The dialogue was spot on and completely in line with a B-Movie. I do have to say that if I had to complain about one thing, it was the choice for the cast, I found them to be a bit to cliché. However it didn’t take anything away from the overall story and I was in love with it all from page 1.

Dying Breath: 4.0 out of 5
Who would I suggest pick up this book? Honestly anyone and everyone reading this review. This story was packed full of great moments that would be found in any classic B-Movie. It may seem like an easy thing to achieve in writing, but I think it’s harder than writing something serious. You have to know when you cross the line into dumb, and then come back and make it work. This book delivers on the artwork, story and everything in between. I’m sorry I missed the initial release of these issues because I would have been spreading the word of Motel Hell so much sooner.

If you would like to buy or know more about Motel Hell you can find it at http://www.idwpublishing.com

Issues: Hoax Hunter’s Part 1 – Part 6
Writers: Michael Moreci, Steve Seeley
Artist: JM Ringuet
Letters: Jim Campbell
Publisher: Image Comics
Release Date: 2011
Pages: 13

“Chupacabra. Yeti. The Montauk Monster. All the creatures of folklore, legend, and Internet fame–what if they were real? They’d be made to appear fake by a reality TV show, of course! HOAX HUNTERS is that show, though to their viewing audience, their goal is the exact opposite: seeking out YouTube sensations, tabloid creatures, and reported monsters and proving them to be false. The HOAX HUNTERS demonstrate that the truth isn’t out there.”

Artwork: 4.5 out of 5
Magnificent! I think that describes Ringuet’s style quite well. He seems to have a great grasp on being able to create the right image to put that fear into the reader. The colors on these stories are great and overall it just looks fantastic. Half man half (read it to find out) is creepy as hell folks.

Story: 4.5 out of 5
Moreci and Seeley are doing an awesome job on this back up story, which is why I needed to make sure to review 1-6. The writing is on point, with an awesome concept, that is being executed perfectly. The guys are able to take 2-3 pages per issue and tell a story that leaves you wanting more every single time.

Dying Breath: 4.5 out of 5
The only downside to these stories is that you get 2-3 pages at a time. Image should take this half way mark, and just give this story a one shot. Get the ball rolling already. Awesome art and a creepy storyline, and I’ve only read 13 pages. If your reading Hack/Slash you need to be reading this back up, if you’re not reading H/S then you need to pick it up and read this story anyways.

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #55: Ryan Browne & Riley Rossmo

Horror comics have been scaring readers for years. Is there anyone brave enough to sit down with their creators? This is Discussions with Decapitated Dan.

This week Decapitated Dan is bringing you a two interview show. First up is the creator, writer and artist of God Hates Astronauts and Blast Furnace, Ryan Browne!

Then damn is joined by Riley Rossmo, who is at a coffee shop! Listen in as they talk about Green Wake's second arc and trade paper back.

Music by the Workhorse Kings.

The show is sponsored by CuriousGoodsandComics.com

This show runs for about 71 minutes.

Welcome to the 30th episode of Tales From the Water Cooler!

Join Infinite Speech, Decapitated Dan and the Southern Sensation each week as they gather around the water cooler of stories to talk about comics.

Speech and Sensation are still lost at sea as Decapitated Dan is joined by the Comic Book Clergyman. Listen in as they take a look at The Heap #1, Uncanny X-men #542, Hellblazer #282 and Daredevil #2. All that and more can be found here, each week on Tales From the Water Cooler!

You can download the episode here:
Tales From the Water Cooler #30

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #54: Menton Matthews & Kasra Ghanbari

Horror comics have been scaring readers for years. Is there anyone brave enough to sit down with their creators? This is Discussions with Decapitated Dan.

This week Decapitated Dan is joined by Menton Matthews III and Kasra Ghanbari. Listen in as they talk about their upcoming book from IDW, Monocyte and so much more.

Also a special musical treat this week, "A Necessary End" by Saltillo who is also doing the Monocyte soundtrack.

The show is sponsored by CuriousGoodsandComics.com

This show runs for about 58 minutes.

Welcome to the 29th episode of Tales From the Water Cooler!

Join Infinite Speech, Decapitated Dan and the Southern Sensation each week as they gather around the water cooler of stories to talk about comics.

There is something strange in the water this week as Speech and Sensation just don't sound right. Listen in as Decap talks about Wizard World Chicago & Flashback Weekend, and as always stick around for their picks of the week, Baltimore: Curse Bells #1, Artifacts #9 and Spider Island: Cloak and Dagger #1.

All that and more can be found here, each week on Tales From the Water Cooler!
You can download the episode here:
Tales From the Water Cooler #29

FRIDAY - AUGUST, 12, 2011 – CHICAGO COMIC CON

So what do you do when there are 2 shows you need to attend on the same weekend? Simple, you pray that they are right across the street from one another and then you wind up with the same weekend I just had! I will start with the comic show since I spent much more time there, so if you interested in the Flashback recap, just scroll on down to Saturday coverage. 

This was my third year going to Chicago Comic Con/ Wizard World, and this happened to be the most time I spent at the show in those 3 years! Amy and I headed up to the show on Friday, she was dressed as Phoenix. When we got up to the convention center the show had no officially opened yet, so the lobby of the Stephens Center was bit crowded. We headed over to the booth that said Press Registration, only to be told that we were in the wrong line. Apparently the press line was now the Pro Registration line. I don't get it either. So after getting the wristbands we were in. 

Just like past years the breakdown of the show floor is simple. Upon entering the room you have all the media guests, then the vendors and in the back is Artist Alley. Now it might have just been me but I thought that the vendor and Artist Alley areas were larger this year. As with most shows we headed straight to the back to unload our bags with our good friends Rafael Nieves and Dan Dougherty. I had asked them how preview night went, to find out that it went well. While asking around the room I seemed to get the same response on Preview Night. 

After dropping off our stuff, I quickly tried to get around to all the Dan Con alum and drop fliers on their tables. Hey, if I am going to be at a big show in the area, I gotta promote. I was able to say hello to tons of friends and then quickly move on to get more fliers out for the public's eyes to see. Practically everyone in the photo gallery is on the Dan Con list for 2012. 

One thing I have to point out was this group of guys who brought their Lego displays. Being a HUGE Futurama fan I was quickly trying to figure out how to get all of the custom pieces back to the truck. OH speaking of the truck, for anyone who recalls last years drama, I made it safely to the show 2 days in a row. Back to the Futurama Legos, they were awesome and I got pics of each piece so I hope you enjoy them like I did. 

The show on Friday was not too busy, but a good crowd was constantly moving through. I took this opportunity to get in some interviews for upcoming episodes of Discussions. I got a chance to sit down with Raf & Dan, Ryan Browne, Randy Field, Jay Fosgitt, Tony Mielo, The Underburbs, David Gruba, Brian Babendererde, Mark Kidwell, Nat Jones and the crew of P.I Jane. So you can look forward to that. 

The final thing I did on Friday, and I waited until close to the end of the day, was shop. I had seen a booth selling trades for 4 for $20, and it was something I didn't want to pass up. Since it was the end of the day the crowd was dwindling down, and there was really no one around the vendor tables. I was able to grab some great books for only $40, and one of those was the Deadworld Classic Vol. 2, in which I wrote the forward! HAHA! That was really it, Friday was a great day to be at the show, we had a chance to talk to so many people, it wasn't over crowded, it was just a lot of fun.

SATURDAY - AUGUST, 13, 2011 – FLASHBACK WEEKEND

Saturday was a day of highs and lows. For example, I got to go to Flashback Weekend (High), however I got to sit in traffic for 1 hour while waiting to go less than 1 mile (Low). I can't say that we were running on time when we left to head back up to Rosemont on Saturday, but when it took me 1 hour to get off the highway to a parking spot I was already not too happy. I guess when you put a comic book convention, a horror convention and a Selena Gomez concert on the same block, on the same day, it is going to be busy. 

So finally we parked and it was time to go to Flashback Weekend. Now this was my first time going to a horror convention so I was excited to see what it was all about. We entered the Crowne and were greeted by one of my best buds, Don Johnston. Don is the AV guy for the show, so we got the secret tour, which means we got to see the rooms with a man on the inside. 

The first thing we did was take a look at the Q&A room, where the Walking Dead panel was taking place. This room was huge, and so nicely laid out. Big screens to the left and right and the guests in the center. A great layout. 

Next we took at look at the Dealer Room, but I think it's safe to call it the Awesome/Fun/Party Room. The one thing that I noticed at Flashback were smiles, because everyone had them. People at this show were just happy to be where the were. Dealers were selling horror props, posters, movies, shirts and even our friends who do the Descent of the Dead books were on hand. In the back of this huge room were the media guests, and people were in line for them! A quick side story, Amy and I watch Big Brother and one of the past house guests, Matt, was at the show supporting TROMA, so we got to meet him and his lovely wife. All in all Flashback was a great time, but we needed to head back over to Chicago Comic Con, so we waived goodbye to everyone and crossed the street. 

SATURDAY - AUGUST, 13, 2011 – CHICAGO COMIC CON

So now back across the street at Chicago Comic Con, we made our way back through the crowd to drop our stuff off with Raf and Dan again. The show on Saturday was SUPER BUSY. It was almost to the point where I was uncomfortable to really walk around. We spent most of the day looking for friends who were also attending the show. We had found a few but not everyone sadly. 

The problem that you seem to run into with a larger crowd is not getting enough time to chat with friends. They are spending most of the day talking to potential buyers, so it's best to stay out of their way. So while we were able to say hello to everyone, we quickly ran out of things to do. Walking back up front was too much of a zoo to try and get through, so as sad as it is to say, we were bored. I guess if there might have been a panel or 2 to check out we could have done that, but there was no program this year and I don't even know if they had any panels. 

I really don't have a lot to say about the 4 hours we spent at the show on Saturday. The big highlight was heading over to the Hyatt after the show to have drinks with friends, we also got to meet Chris Hardwick. It was a really great way to call an end to the evening, and con weekend. 

The two things I have learned is that I really only need 1 day at Chicago Comic Con, and I need to see more horror comic creators at Flashback Weekend. The weekend was busy but it was a lot of fun, so I can not wait for next year when I can spread things out the right way and enjoy my time much better. 

CHICAGO COMIC CON PHOTO GALLERY

FLASHBACK WEEKEND PHOTO GALLERY

Chicago Comic Con was held August 11-14, 2011 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center.

Flashback Weekend was held August 12-14, 2011 at the Crowne Plaza Chicago Ohare Hotel.

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #53: Dirk Manning and Joshua Williamson

Horror comics have been scaring readers for years. Is there anyone brave enough to sit down with their creators? This is Discussions with Decapitated Dan.

This week Decapitated Dan is bringing you a 2 interview, all Shadowline show.

First up is the always funny, always cool, 5-TIME show presence Dirk Manning! Dirk is back to talk more Nightmare World!

Then Decapitated Dan is joined by Joshua Williamson to talk about Xenoholics.

Music by Workhorse Kings

The show is sponsored by CuriousGoodandComics.com

This show runs for about 100 minutes.

Over the weekend I was up in the Palos Heights, IL area with some time to spare. I had gone onto the Comic Shop Locator and found a few shops that should have been up in that area. Comic Asylum was the only one I found that was still open. The shop was easy to spot from 111th, located on the south side of the street, with it's giant Spider-Man, Iron Man and Wolverine painted on the doors.

http://comicrelated.com/news/13052/the-comic-asylum

Welcome to the 28th episode of Tales From the Water Cooler!
Join Infinite Speech, Decapitated Dan and the Southern Sensation each week as they gather around the water cooler of stories to talk about comics.

Speech is back and the guys have some surprises in store! Make sure to listen in as they dive into their picks of the week Severed #1, Rachel Rising #1 and Punisher #1 and a very special stay away from pick is discussed!

All that and more can be found here, each week on Tales From the Water Cooler!

You can download the episode here:
Tales From the Water Cooler #28

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #52: Jeff Balke & Drew Gaska

Horror comics have been scaring readers for years. Is there anyone brave enough to sit down with their creators? This is Discussions with Decapitated Dan.

This week Decapitated Dan is bringing you a 2 interview show.

First up is comic book colorist Jeff Balke. Listen in as Jeff talks about what it takes to color horror comics and much more.

Then Decapitated Dan is joined by Drew Gaska to talk about his new book Conspiracy of the Planet of the Apes.

Music by Workhorse Kings

The show is sponsored by CuriousGoodandComics.com

This show runs for about 100 minutes.

Welcome to the 27th episode of Tales From the Water Cooler!

Join Infinite Speech, Decapitated Dan and the Southern Sensation each week as they gather around the water cooler of stories to talk about comics.

This week the Speech is missing, but the guys have some surprises in store! A special guest and special review make this one show not to miss! Make sure to listen in as they dive into their picks of the week The Vault #1, Lenore #3 and The Living Corpse Exhumed #1 and as always so much more!

All that and more can be found here, each week on Tales From the Water Cooler!
You can download the episode here:
Tales From the Water Cooler #27

Discussions with Decapitated Dan #51: Jay Fosgitt

Horror comics have been scaring readers for years. Is there anyone brave enough to sit down with their creators? This is Discussions with Decapitated Dan.

Listen in this week as Dan sits down with Jay Fosgitt. Jay is a cartoonist who has worked on Little Green Men, Dead Duck and now has a comic in Rue Morgue Magazine called Nerconomicomics.

Music by Workhorse Kings

The show is sponsored by CuriousGoodandComics.com

This show runs for about 70 minutes.