Back in 2013, Kulbir gave me the title of “The Explorer” in his House of Flying Scalpels. I’ve been active on Twitter for years, chatting about Marvel, web comics, and Greek artists. Here’s why I felt honoured — and why you should check out his site.
I have been using Twitter for a while now. Although I originally made my account way back in 2011, it is only in the last year or so that I have become truly active.
I chat a lot on Twitter and enjoy it very much. I have had the chance to find other people who express their love for comics with the same passion as I do.
Mostly I tweet about:
Marvel
New comic books from artists who self‑publish their work
Web comics you can find online
Events, comics, and artists from my country, Greece
But mostly, I love to share my excitement about something new that I have discovered.
I guess that is why Kulbir gave me the title of “The Explorer” in his House of Flying Scalpels. I am proud to be a subject of his House.
Kulbir is one of the people I really like to chat with on Twitter. He has an amazing site packed with detailed, in‑depth articles on comics. I really like his site and his passion for comics — and I strongly suggest you check it out!
Comicdom is an annual comic book event that started in 2007, growing bigger each year with international and Greek guests. I attended in 2013, chatted with favourite Greek artists, bought comics, and connected with fans. Here’s why I can’t wait for the next one.
Comicdom 2013 – a 3‑day event that I truly enjoyed.
Comicdom is a comic book event that started in 2007. Each year it becomes bigger and bigger, with many international guests and local Greek ones.
I enjoyed it the most because I got the chance to chat with several of my favourite Greek comic book artists, buy many comics, and hang out with fellow comic book fans.
Here are some photos of:
Chating with comic book artist George Kambadais
Sitting in the Artist Alley for the Comic Book Club fanzine (which I also participated in)
Getting my comics signed by Kostas Sklavenitis and Othonas Nikolaidis
I had so much fun this year. I can’t wait for the next Comicdom!
Ken Garing took time from his busy schedule to answer questions about his comic Planetoid — creating it solo, his influences, the themes behind the story, and what’s next. Here’s what he shared
Ken Garing took some time from his busy schedule to answer several questions, giving us insight into the hows and whys of his comic Planetoid!
I thank him for that and I really appreciate it.
How hard was it to do a comic book solely on your own?
It’s hard in the sense that it’s a lot of work. The actual making of the comic is mostly enjoyable, but there just a lot to keep track of. You have to be your own project manager and keep tabs on a lot of loose ends.
Making a comic from story to the lettering is something we usually see in European comic creators, so I have to ask who and what are your major influences story and art wise?
There are many influences. For Planetoid I looked at a lot of Italian comics, work by Serpieri, Liberatore, and Sergio Toppi. Also, Japanese artists like Otomo and Nihei. In terms of the story, Frank Herbert’s Dune was very influential.
Planetoid in its story has some strong moral issues about life and society how much was it a comic where you wanted to make a statement or just a story that you’ve been wanting to say?
There were certain themes regarding power, exploitation, community, etc that I wanted to explore from the outset but I’m reluctant to verbalize them in any detail. The story, imagery, and everything else was borne of those central themes.
Planetoid ends with issue 5, is it possible that we are going to see any future stories based in this universe and the current cast of characters?
Yes. There are two more arcs planned as well as some one-shots that will flesh out the back stories of some of the characters.
Any chance of seeing Planetoid in a collected edition soon?
Ibelieve the collected trade paperback will be available in July.
Lastly would you like to tell us about any project you currently working on and if it’s about Planetoid?
The publisher of my next project will make an announcement at C2E2 in Chicago next week. It’s not Planetoid related.
Visiting Tomek’s exhibition reminded me why he’s one of my favourite Greek comic artists – and why comic covers matter.
Tomek is one of my favourite comic book artists in Greece. So when I heard there would be an exhibition with original art from his comics, I definitely needed to go.
I was lucky enough to arrive on time and hear Tomek talk about his background — how he started drawing, what influenced him, and how he expresses himself through his art. He also gave us tips on how to draw and how to set up a story.
It was a pleasure visiting the exhibition, and I really like Tomek’s art even more now.
I will keep in mind his suggestion that no matter how cool a comic is, if the cover doesn’t catch your eye, you’ll never approach it. I totally agree
It was a pleasure visiting the exhibition and I really like Tomek’s art, even more so now.
I will keep in mind his suggestion that no matter how cool a comic is if the cover does not catch your eye you will never approach it, I totally agree.
Another Wolverine monthly? Yes — but this one is different. With Paul Cornell writing and Alan Davis on art, Wolverine Vol. 5 moves the character beyond the grumpy outsider stereotype. Refreshing, intriguing, and beautifully drawn. Here’s why I gave it a chance — and why you should too.
Wolverine gains one more monthly comic book — this one is Volume 5 of the original series.
Most comic fans are not pleased with the overexposure of Wolverine. He appears in so many comics that he often gets more spotlight than he deserves. Yes, he’s popular — but he’s not the only hero in the Marvel Universe.
This new title, though, is considered the core Wolverine book. It features a new numbering and, more importantly, a great creative team: Paul Cornell as writer and Alan Davis as artist. That’s the reason I read it.
Art
Alan Davis teams up yet again with inker Mike Farmer and colorist Matt Hollingsworth — delivering a stunning visual delight.
Davis has a unique, trademarked style that is recognisable wherever you see it. The inks and colours compliment his art perfectly, giving Wolverine a more superhero flair. Wolverine is now part of the Avengers and no longer just a popular outsider, so this glossy, polished art for a new beginning suits the book well.
Story
The story is Part 1 of a story‑line named Hunting Season — a perfect title for a Wolverine comic. But from the very first page, it seems Wolverine is the one being hunted and cornered.
Thanks to Paul Cornell, in just one issue we have more than a few twists and turns that thicken the plot and amp up the mystery of what new threat Wolverine will have to face.
Cornell gives Wolverine the chance to use his Avenger membership to state that he is here to help. This is refreshing — because after a while, it gets boring to see a misunderstood Wolvie growl and attack authority figures.
Witty comments and a sense of humour are also present in the dialogue — a skill Cornell knows how to use in clever ways.
We might also see a new supporting cast. We are introduced to a new female character, NYPD Detective Tomomatsu, who already knows Wolverine. Let’s hope she survives — because she seems like a cool addition.
Final Verdict
Overall, this may be another Wolverine comic — but it is refreshing. It moves the character to a new level, making him more of a hero, placing him in the real world, and not burdening him with heavy X‑Men or Avengers continuity.
It’s a Wolverine comic with no out‑of‑the‑blue team‑ups. It has beautiful art and an intriguing story.
Costas on Comics 