Sexy Chix: anthology of women cartoonists by various

Marvel recently announced an anthology mini-series entitled Girl Comics. Reactions have been mixed to say the least. Of course the majority of the negative reaction is on the silly name and the presumed “ghettoization” of the project. But looking over the creator’s listed I was reminded of this anthology of short pieces from Dark Horse. The two books share a lot of creators in common at a casual glance. Of course the Marvel project will be stories based around their super-heroes. While Sexy Chix’s pieces were more varied. Fantasy, bio, mystery, slice of life and so forth…

Of the different pieces I’d have to say my favorites are Jill Thompson’s “Love Triangle” about a mermaid, a sailor and a witch. Colleen Coover’s metaphorical poem “The Boogeyman” about grief and loss. And Carla Speed McNeil’s “Hands On” about an unconventional healer, that also has the same general feel as her Finder comic. The volume also features work by other noteworthy talents like Chynna Clugston, Colleen Doran, Gail Simone, Joyce Carol Oates, Amanda Conner and Trina Robbins among others…

Anyway I’d have to thank those (including the ones on my f-list) whose angry reaction to Marvel’s book made me think of this one. It had been awhile since I’d read it. I’d forgotten what a nice little book this was…

In addition to our discussions movies, music, books, and theatre, we will from time to time, post audio fiction. Unlike our regular episodes, audio fiction episodes are not released under a creative commons license, but remain copyright and restricted to their original creators. Here is part one of

“The End of Bliss”
A Story From the Third World
by Joseph L. Selby

Setting: The Forevergreen forest, north of the Mashashony village of Foresthold.

Characters: Tanner Imsikwatash, our protagonist
The Forevergreen, a forest

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Why episode 8, instead of episode 7?  Take a listen and find out!

Other reasons to listen?  We’re talking about games this week!

We’ve played some multiplayer, host-on-host Brütal Legend and Blood Bowl this week.  Jonathan died.  A lot.

Jonathan’s list:

• Assassin’s Creed 2
• Evil Genius
• Word Ace

Alex’s list:

• GameFly (not technically a game, but it will be… it will be…)
• Bayonetta Demo
• Vandal Hearts Demo
• 1 vs. 100
• Texas Hold ‘Em
• Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes

Can you tell who’s been on vacation recently?

Alex is editing next week’s episode, so that one will release on time.  See ya then!

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Will Eisner’s The Spirit vol. 1, story and art by Darwyn Cook, inks and finishes by J.Bone, colors by Dave Stewart and letters by Jared K. Fletcher

Will Eisner’s Spirit comic strips are one of the oldest and longest running of costumed vigilantes. So DC’s decision to relaunch the character by the legendary creator had some controversy to it. But Cooke manages to capture Eisner’s mix of goofy fun and pulp noir quite well. Along with the Spirit’s signature dames like journalist Ginger Coffee, police commisioner’s daughter Ellen Dollan, international black widow P’gell and more…

The first volume concludes with a Batman/Spirit one-shot that was co-written by Cooke and Jeph Loeb. Which is, shocking given Loeb’s recent work, really very good. They’re Batman feels like a mix of the Dini animated Batman and the classic Silver Age version. So the two and their respective rogues mesh well together…

Mouse Guard: Winter 1152 by David Petersen

What, you need more information? Its Mouse Guard. Two of them fight an owl. An owl!

Petersen’s comic of mouse towns and the brave guardmice that defend them shouldn’t need any more hype from me. This second book directly follows the events of Fall 1152 collection. Seriously, go and get them you will not be disappointed…

JAROL WHITEBLADE
Half-Elf fighter 1/rogue 1

Jarol was a member of the Springport militia until he was caught taking kickbacks from ship captains to look the other way while they smuggled illicit goods. Unable to find honest work where he could make a little extra on the side, he left Springport and headed upstream to Goldriver. He hopes to resume a post in the local militia and renew his efforts at self-enrichment or maybe sign on with an adventuring group and make some quick coin murdering monsters and stealing their stuff.

Ability Scores (15 point-buy)
Strength 12 (2)
Dexterity* 17 (7)
Constitution 14 (5)
Intelligence 14 (5)
Wisdom 10 (0)
Charisma 7 (-4)

Racial Benefits
+2 to any one ability (* Dexterity)
Skill Focus: Bluff*
+2 to Perception
2 favored classes (fighter and rogue)
Languages: Common, Elven, Dwarven*, Goblinoid* (* from Intelligence bonus)
Immune to magic sleep; +2 bonus against enchantment effects
30 ft base movement
Low-light vision

To Hit +4 (+2/+2 two-weapon fighting)
Hit Points 20 (2nd-level hd 1/2 average (4.5) rounded up instead of rolling, +1 hp for favored class)

Base-Attack Bonus +1
Fortitude save +4
Reflex save +5
Will save +0

Class Abilities
Bonus combat feat
Sneak attack +1d6
Trapfinding

Feats
Two-Weapon Fighting
Weapon Finesse

Skills (including 1 extra for favored class)
Acrobatics +5
Appraise +6
Bluff +6 (two ranks and *skill focus)
Climb +3
Disable Device +5
Escape Artist +5
Intimidate +2
Perception +6 (racial bonus)
Ride +5
Sense Motive +4
Sleight of Hand +5
Stealth +5
Swim +3
Use Magic Device +2

Equipment
Rapier
Dagger
Longbow
Chain shirt (-2 armor check penalty to Str/Dex skills)
Adventuring gear

Episode 6!  It’s our looking-forward episode.  Surely you haven’t had enough of these already!  ;-)

Jonathan played a bunch of demoes (Bayonetta, Divinity II, and Dante’s Inferno) and wasn’t entirely sold on any of them.

Alex talks about Tiger Woods and EA’s continued relationship, more Brutal Legend, and the Blood Bowl league we’re joining.

Jonathan’s Most Anticipated 2010 Releases

• Transformers: War for Cybertron
• Super Mario Galaxy 2
• Mass Effect 2 (I dunno why they keep calling that random dude Shepard, but there you go.)
• Final Fantasy XIII
• Alan Wake
• Heavy Rain
• The Last Guardian
• Metroid: Other M

Alex’s Most Anticipated 2010 Releases

• R.U.S.E.
• Bioshock 2
• Aliens vs. Predator
• Elemental: War of Magic
• Warhammer 40k: Chaos Rising
• Yakuza 3
• Ghost Recon 4 (or Predator or Future Soldier; no one seems sure, yet)
• Crackdown 2

Dishonorable Mentions:

• Front Mission Evolved
• Dante’s Inferno

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Chew written and lettered by John Layman, drawn and colored by Rob Guillory

Tony Chu is a cop with a “gift”. He’s a cibopath, which means he can psychically read an objects past by eating it. And after he’s found gnawing on the face of a dead serial killer he gets recruited by the F.D.A. Of course the F.D.A. is a much more powerful organization, what with poultry being illegal. Seems that several year earlier some kind of bird flu wiped out millions around the world (23 million in the U.S.A.) and so Congress made the sale of poultry illegal…

So Tony is partnered with Mason Savoy one of only two other known cibopaths (the last being a mysterious Russian). Together they’ll travel into the dark underbelly of illegal foods and the criminals that lurk there…

Layman and Guillory have managed to create a new twist on the police procedural genre. And Guillory’s loose and fluid art perfectly balances the bizarre humor and ugly macabre nature of it all…

Our old pal Murphy stopped by this week to knock us upside our respective noggins with his law. Rather than go into details, let’s just say lessons were learned… one of which being that running a podcast with the motto “What would Eddie Riggs do?” is a lousy idea.

Speaking of the illustrious Ormagöden-blessed roadie, the podcast starts with a discussion of Christmas loot, and Alex reveals that Brütal Legend is rocking his world. Jonathan is comparatively lootless, though as he explains, there is a good reason for it. Inferno Pool gets a new fan, and Dragon Age gets more Way of the Game love.

Niceties uttered, the Producer and the Holmberg start to dig into a recap of the year in games. Alex pulls out esoteric titles like Kodu Game Lab and Godfather 2, while Jonathan delves into Plants vs. Zombies.  Then they discuss — at length — the implications of future motion controllers like Project Natal and the  PS3 wand-thingy. Layoffs in the gaming industry are highlighted, and a single tear is shed for Duke Nukem.

One thing we didn’t cover in depth is our personal top games of 2009. You’ll have to head to the forums in order to see them. Feel free to comment and post your own!

~The Producer

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Miss Don’t Touch Me Story and color by Hubert, Art by Kerascoet

Set in 1930s Paris, Hubert’s story is about sisters Blanche and Agatha and a serial killer known as the “Butcher of the Dances”. Blanche is shy and introverted while Agatha is fun-loving and out-going. After Blanche discovers what may be the Butcher next door her sister is killed. But the police dismiss it as a suicide. So Blanche goes and attempts to investigate on her own, which leads her to working at the brothel the Promenade. Blanche becomes Miss Don’t Touch Me, a star virgin/dominatrix…

Kerascoet’s art style is very European, with lots of basic lines that still manage to have very expressive facial expressions. I was a little disappointed by the final act and denouement, but even with that its an excellent story…