Review – The Sixsmiths by J. Marc Schmidt (artist) and Jason Franks (writer)

The Sixsmiths is an independent Australian black and white graphic novel produced in the digest size format chronicling the life of a family of urban Satanists.

After father Ralf loses his job, the Sixsmiths have to make a few sacrifices (literally) which include children Cain and Lilith changing from private to public schooling. As Ralf encounters ups and downs in his search for work, mother Annie tries to hold everything together through numerous obligatory religious ceremonies and family dramas. While being Satanists gets Cain and Lilith attention at their new school, the religion itself gets in the way of their social life. Satanism it seems is just as much an impediment as Christianity or any other religion which children follow only because it’s their parents’ faith. Jezabelle, the Sixsmith’s estranged eldest daughter, the “black sheep” of the family, has rejected Satanism and decided to become a Buddhist nun. She provides my favourite line in the book: ‘Well, Satan can go and get fucked!’

It’s easy to say that being Satanists, the Sixsmiths are no ordinary family, but that’s not the case. In fact it’s their ordinariness that makes this book a little gem. The Sixsmiths is a book of small wonders as we experience the life of this Satanist family. There’s no big revelations or major plot twists, just a normal Satanist family’s struggle with everyday life. Having experienced the “joys” of unemployment, I found myself sympathising with Ralf on his emotional job-hunting rollercoaster. Annie is your typical caring mother (albeit one who attends church orgies every week) and Cain and Lilith (apart from their tattoos) are your normal bored and emotionally uneven teenagers grappling with the opposite sex and making new friends.

That the religious aspect is treated so matter-of-factly is where the The Sixsmiths provides plenty of out-loud chuckling. Whether it’s Ralf feeling like he hasn’t sinned enough lately or Lilith complaining about having to listen to black metal band Venom again, the almost absurd nature of religion as convention is revealed.

Divided into sixteen digestible chapters, Franks paces the narrative deftly when it could have easily fallen quickly into the mundane and gives each character simple but effective motivations. Schmidt’s uncluttered artwork provides all the detail necessary and compliments Franks’ story well. Expressions are varied conveying characters’ feelings excellently and all characters are distinctly recognisable. The artwork is in some way reminiscent of more animated cartoon production such as Beavis and Butthead, King of the Hill, and more recently Ugly Americans. In fact, I could see The Sixsmiths translating to the animated cartoon medium without much trouble at all, Satan willing...

Let it be known too that The Sixsmiths isn’t stand alone with a development at the end which sees the story continuing into another volume, and I for one am looking forward to it.

For an easy read with good comedic value, there’s no need to sacrifice a pigeon, just grab a copy of The Sixsmiths. Thank the Dark Lord! There should be more of it.

For more on the creators go to www.jmarcschmidt.com and www.jasonfranks.com.

Review - A Mind of Love by Bruce Mutard

Bruce Mutard's A Mind of Love collects previous published (as 'Love to Know You' in Street Smell) and new material to complete the story of Brian, a social misfit with a penchant for pornography.

After nine years working in his 'dream job' as an adult bookshop attendant, Brian decides to kick his pornography habit. The impetus for this decision is an encounter with Nancy, a waitress who serves him lunch every day, and whom he has a crush on. Too shy to formally ask Nancy out, Brian follows her home after she has an argument with her boyfriend to see if she's okay. His encounter with Nancy outside of the café setting shatters Brian's perception of her and pushes him to question how he sees women and to make drastic changes in his life.

While Mutard professes that the story is about pornography and its effects, we're not particularly privy to Brian's addiction - we come in on the end of it. Nor is there much to suggest that this addiction is destroying his life. Has he pursued pornography to the detriment of other aspects of his life? It hasn't messed up any relationships because he's never had any and he's maintained a job and apartment, for nine years. He mentions he's spent over $2000 on porn. Over nine years that amounts to under five dollars per week. That sounds more like an interest or a hobby than an addiction. I suppose it doesn't matter whether it actually constitutes an addiction, but rather that Brian sees it as one and decides to do something about it.

For an excellent movie about addiction, Permanent Midnight (1998) (based on actual events and starring Ben Stiller in a rare dramatic role) portrays television screenwriter Jerry Stahl's almost life destroying drug addiction. For an even more harrowing look at addiction, try Requiem for a Dream based on Hubert Selby Jnr's book of the same name.

While A Mind of Love doesn't delve deeply into social and personal affectation of pornography it does at least raises questions for discussion. For Brian his pornography addiction has 'taught' him to see women purely as sex objects. Yet there are many forms of media which teach us how to look at women - cartoons, movies, music videos, even magazines for women. Simply, before Brian had seen any pornography he would have already been 'taught' to see women as objects. Pornography, it can be argued, is merely an extreme reflection of the social construction of women in a patriarchal society. So when Brian calls ogling women, 'instinct' and excuses it with 'Ah well... I'm still a bloke', he fails to see that he's embedded in a wider set of constructed social norms and practices regarding women which over time have come to be interpreted as 'natural'. Thus it can't be argued with because 'that's just the way it's always been'.

Brian's consumption of pornography creates a distance between him and women, effectively leaving him disconnected from the possibility of a real relationship. Also, pornographic images, easily accessible and always ready on demand, substitute for real women, so Brian effectively doesn't need a 'real' woman, or a relationship with one, when he has pornography.

For me, the heart of A Mind of Love lies in the simple a story of a boy becoming a man. Much of Brian's inner dialogue, I would argue, is reflective of many young men who are shy, and nervous, and without a natural rapport with women. Brian is less a misfit, and more a confused and unsure young man lacking in self-confidence. Brian's development into adulthood is retarded, culminating in his twenties, but this isn't unusual considering that the cult of kidult-hood which permeates society. Adult pursuits such as having children and marriage are now postponed, happening later than in earlier generations. Many adults now still live with their parents well into their twenties, with their parents still paying for them. Childhood pursuits, or those that were considered childish such as reading comics and playing video games, are now firmly ensconced as a part of adult culture. Yet it is not the pursuits themselves that are juvenile, but the adults that act in a juvenile manner refusing to accept responsibility for their own actions. While they may look like adults they still 'play' like children. More and more the idea of making adult choices and taking responsibility is becoming anathema to a society of juveniles that expects things to be presented to them rather than being earned.

Brian is rejecting this ethos when he makes a decision to become an adult. Essentially he is emerging from a fantasy. The 'dream' of working in an adult book shop where you can look at naked women all day is a male teenager's fantasy. When Brian makes an adult decision, deciding to take responsibility for his actions, he's able to leave his fantasy world of porn and enter the diverse 'Big Ass Bookstore' of adulthood where he's able to converse with women without seeing them purely as sex objects, and have a relationship which ultimately results in marriage and impending parenthood.

The theme of fantasy and daydreaming is strong in A Mind of Love. In a simple, yet clever technique, the hard panel borders are removed when Brian is fantasising/daydreaming. The temptation to return to his earlier 'fantasy' life is strong. When he visits the cafe and adult book shop he starts fantasising again but with adult vigour rejects any nostalgia for 'the good ol' days'.

In between finishing A Mind of Love Mutard has had published a number of other works - The Bunker (2003), The Sacrifice (2008), and The Silence (2009) and it's not hard to see why. Mutard's artwork and storytelling is very impressive. The more recently produced artwork of in A Mind of Love's later chapters is a standout. The line work is acutely detailed and in the sequence of Nancy's representation as stripper, the drawing is flawless. The book's shading is excellent with impressive slabs of glossy black backgrounds.

In his introduction Jason Franks comments how Mutard doesn't shy away from drawing a crowd scene and indeed, these scenes packed full of bodies are some of the best in the book. The faces, hairstyles, clothes and expressions of individuals are all unique. Lovingly crafted and wonderfully executed, A Mind of Love is a testament to Mutard's copious talents and while his work is already bordering on masterful, I feel there is still better yet to come.

For further information on Bruce Mutard and his work go to his Allen and Unwin author page.

Review: Fist Full of Comics #1, 2 and 3 - Various artists and writers, (FFO Comics)

This latest incarnation (Volume 3) of the Australian comic anthology Fist Full of Comics promises a 'long run of issues devoted to the tireless efforts of comic creators'. It's always encouraging, and surprising (considering the work involved), but plain pleasing to see someone devoted to Australian comics enough to want to publish other people's work. So first off it's a big hurrah! and kudos sent out to FFoC editor HEADFIST  for being committed to such a commendable task.

The great thing about Oz Comics is the diversity and breadth of ideas. No two stories in these three issues are the same.

The standout story in Issue #1 (June 2010) is David Follet's 'Dream #1'. Packed with movement and an ecelctic bunch of characters this silent comic (with a coathanger as a transport device!) is simply charming and very accomplished in execution. Brendan Boyd's 'God Bless America' is also a well-executed and distinctively styled tale of a traveller returning to a war-ravaged earth.

Starting in this issue are the ongoing stories 'Penny Lane: Anti-hero' (Bridget Hodder), 'If Ya Need!' (Kurt Murray), and 'The Adventures of White Wolf' (Frank Candiloro). All three offer wildly different art styles.

Candiloro's cartoon-like tale of a werewolf who has devoted his life to fighting crime, suffers from the single page devoted in each of the three issues making the story slow and difficult to get into.

'If Ya Need! sees a mixed gender netball team of misfits trying to get it together to compete in the amateur leagues. Initially I found Murray's cartoony, almost juvenile, styled art a little simple for my liking but on reviewing I was struck by the clean lines and how well-proportioned the characters are. Similarly each character is individually recognisable. 'If Ya Need''s art is deceptively good.

'Penny Lane', a story of a girl trying to catch a killer of her friends, I'm sorry to say, hasn't grabbed me. I've found the art a bit too scratchy and (perhaps) rushed. The bodies of characters appear 'static' and stiff, and the absence of pupils in characters' eyes leaves them staring blankly into space.  The story's 'cut up' style merging art and text in #3 is interesting though in design. Hodder certainly has talent but perhaps a bit more time in production may be in order.

While each of these has some derivative elements they're at least engaging and I'm keen to see where they go.

Issue #2 (July 2010) introduces another ongoing story, 'Simian Soldiers' by Kurt Murray (writer) and Mathew Ryan Sweet (art) It's a tale of escaped homicidal Nazi-trained shock troop apes on the loose after the end of World War 2.  Murray's writing is a step up from his work on 'If Ya Need!' but it's Ryan's impressionistic artwork that steals the show, evoking the chaos of combat and primal, violent ape behavior.

On par with 'Simian Soldiers' for best in #2 is Peter Moerenhout (writer) and Pieter Rosseel's 'Cleansing by Fire'. This story of a man's life haunted by the threat of nuclear fire is sombre and filled with regret. Rosseel's  pencil art complements the 'widescreen' panels beautifully.

Kirk Kenny's two comic strip 'Shorts' provide some good giggles too. Kenny returns in #3 (August 2010) with a completely different art style for his 'Dethrok: Selling Out', which investigates the dilemma of the musicians going for cash or artistic integrity. Mawarini's 'Sushi Language' is a bizarre, but happy little story about speaking with your mouth full, while Chris McMurray's 'I am a Nightmare Walking' addresses being singled out in a crowd, although I would've liked a bit more to this to flesh it out.

On the down side the issues so far have needed closer editing for grammar and spelling. It's a shame that the quality of production is let down by these oversights which can be easily fixed by a solid proofread.

At AUS $5 a pop Fist Fill of Comics is cheaper than most US comics, is good value and a heap of fun. Plus each issue has a fantastic and striking cover from oneyeelephant (#1),  Sophie Louis-Ford (#2), and Mathew Ryan Sweet (#3).

At time of writing this latest this Volume of FFoC doesn't have a dedicated website. For contribution guidelines, subscription, and advertising information contact Fist Full of Comics via fistfullofcomics@gmail.com (or get yourself a copy).

These: Cool and very needed.        Forthcoming: Ready and waiting.

At What Cost? Part 2: The Price of Australian Comics in Australia

I recently posted on the price of comics and graphic novels in Australia and what it might mean for Australian comic retailers. But as I was in looking at Australian comics recently I was struck by the cost of Australian comics as compared now to American comics (we don't get particularly many European comics in Australia and if we do I don't know where they are).


With the Australian dollar pushing close to parity with the American greenback (as of 26 September 2010 it was hovering around US 96c) Australian comics are now cheaper to buy in hard copy than American comics, which makes them a bit more of an attractive purchase. Depending on the title Australian comics run from about $4-$8 with the average round about $5-$6. For example the anthology Fist Full of Comics #3 was five dollars,  and Andrei Buters' Dead by 30 was four dollars, whereas Mark Miller's Nemesis cost $6, and Brian Bendis' Scarlet set me back $8.


Mind you not all Oz comics are as well produced as the American titles. In fact few are, and the overwhelming majority are black-and-white. Similarly not all or all are in the standard comic size. Many are in an A5 format i.e.:A4 paper folded in half. That's not a problem for me as long as I'm getting value for money which can come in a variety of guises.


So does this relative cheapness of product translate into more sales for producers of Australian comics? I doubt it.  As I speculated in my previous post on the price of comics in Australia, with the advent of digital comics less people may be coming into comic shops themselves and thus less people seeing Australian comics on the shelves.


For all intents and purposes Australia doesn't have a comics 'industry'. No one makes a living out of comics in Australia. Okay, there maybe a couple, and I mean only a couple, of exceptions to the rule such as Ben Templesmith. Therefore it's not likely that physical sales of Australian comics are going to take that much of a hit. I would argue that most sales for them would come at the annual conventions such as Supanova.


What does this mean for producers of Australian comics if Australian retailers no longer but find it viable to stock American (or any) comics? 


Embrace digital. I think there's no other way to go but for Australian comic producers to throw their hat into the ring. Eliminating printing and distribution costs brings the price down, allows the comics to go full colour and be produced in proper comic size(if desired), and get exposure to an international audience. And now's the time to do it.


If American digital comics are retailing at between $.99-$2.99 then Australian comics can do exactly the same with less overheads. Just imagine 1000 downloads per month at two dollars each. I'll do the sums for you. That's $2000 a month or $500 a week. It's not a fortune but it's certainly enough. Heck you could even live on that, frugally at any rate.


The great thing about Australian comics is they have a wide diversity of styles both in art and writing and there's no barriers to putting out a comic apart from the monetary side of things. This diversity should be on show to the rest of the world and with the advent of digital may well engender an actual Australian comics industry.


I'd certainly love to know if any Australian comic producer is considering or has already done this. Let me know in the comments.

Review: Dead by 30 #2 - 'Road to Ruin' by Andrei Buters.

Picked up this self-published Australian comic at the same time as Nemesis as is my want for periodically sampling Oz Comic fare.

As I hadn't read the first issue, the sock puppet re-enactment of "the story so far" was welcome if not completely enlightening.

The story follows Phoebe Kestler, who is the target of the same killer who murdered Hess, the best musician in Dylan, and turned into one of the zombie hordes that roam the surrounding countryside. Jenseit 'death-priest' Reuben Carver has been given the job of escorting Phoebe to the safer spaces of, The Capital, which also houses the musical 'Inspiration Project' which Phoebe has been invited to join. But along the way Hess makes an appearance and it seems he's not as completely zombie-fied as first thought.

Not sure what I was expecting with Dead by 30, but certainly not something in the fantasy genre. I found myself being drawn into the story seeded as it is with a number of little intrigues of which I'm keen to find our more. Reuben and Phoebe's conflicting ideals and it seems, sexual tension, pushes the story along nicely.These characters are well-developed with distinct personalities.

There's a lot of work gone into the production of the comic itself but it's also readily apparent that Buters has created a whole world for his characters; a place where they really exist.

If there's any down side it's some of the dialogue slides into exposition at times but it's not particularly distracting.

This is a really well-produced comic with a semi-gloss full colour cover and sharply printed black and white interiors. At 56 pages it's a goddamn bargain providing a much longer reading experience than Nemesis! The artwork isn't generally what I'd go for but it's accomplished and well executed leaning towards the cartoonish with a manga influence.

I'm going to be looking for the first issue and keeping an eye out for further installments.

For a little more about Andrei Buters you can go to his Comics Lifestyle Page.

This: Recommended. Forthcoming: Hopefully soon.