I think what got me interested in manga was that I was bored with the usual superhero-themed comics which were pretty much the only thing I knew about western
comics at the time. For me, manga offered a fresh perspective and different stories than what I had read before. But a couple years ago, I found myself getting
a little bored with the manga stuff. Around the time of my thesis project (which was a graphic novel), I began taking Graphic Novel classes at my grad school.
My instructor was a comics professional having worked on Batman and Neil Gaiman's Sandman. He and my classmates really opened the door for me when it came
to the comics medium. There was a lot of stuff going on in Western comics besides the "superhero power fantasies." There was a lot of stuff that I
wasn't made aware of because I had little to no access to them in my local comic stores or bookstores. Every class, I learned about a new artist/creator
from not only the US, but other countries drawn in a variety of different styles, telling different stories and with different storytelling techniques. I saw
that western comics weren't just relegated to super-heroes. That it wasn't really dead. I was just looking in the wrong places. I think that after
those classes, I began to look at comics differently and appreciate them better. It's all graphic storytelling. I know we all love manga but what other
comics are you reading?
0 Kudo
Other comics
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 frenchhie |
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Mr. Ichinose's Confidant
Posts: 2641 (06/29/08 07:40 PM) |
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andyjay |
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Seven Lucky Gods Martial Artist
Posts: 2737 (06/29/08 08:05 PM) |
I like Get Fuzzy and the webcomic The Perry Bible Fellowship (although I've heard the guy is thinking of retiring it). I'd especially recommend the
latter; I'd describe it as an adults-only version of The Far Side.
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Captain Hummingbird |
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Obnoxious Alien
Posts: 260 (06/29/08 10:54 PM) |
Well, when I was little I was a devoted Archie fanatic
 (seriously, though!). I don't read that many American comics, but I did really enjoy Blue Monday
by Chynna Clugston. Plus, it got me listening to Blur way back in the day thanks to including Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon into a dream sequence (Blur, and by
extension anything Damon Albarn does, are by now some of my favorites  )
Edited because I apparently can't type in proper English. So honey...
Last Edited By: Captain Hummingbird
06/29/08 10:56 PM.
Edited 1 times.
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pxhai |
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Sesshomaru's Toadie
Posts: 17 (06/30/08 07:11 AM) |
Of course, Donald 'quack' Duck is the best western comics. I bought the bilingual version from 1997 to 2000, approx. 300 (thin) volumes. Tintin is
good, too. And Archie, although I only read one chapter, but it's quite funny.
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frenchhie |
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Mr. Ichinose's Confidant
Posts: 2642 (06/30/08 11:40 AM) |
Blue Monday, I remember that one and Tintin is a classic.
Have you heard of Brian Wood? He's a writer but he works with a number of really great artists. His stories are well-written self-contained pieces and he writes about everything from political thrillers, coming of age stories, comedy to viking epics. My two favorites of his thus far are Demo (a collection of short stories), and Super Market, but I've been planning to get into his other work (DMZ, Northlanders, LOCAL, etc). His covers are also brilliant as he is a graphic designer/illustrator as well. His blog : http://www.brianwood.com/ I also really love Paul Pope. He's a writer and artist. AMAZING work. He's the only American illustrator to work for Kodansha. They recognized his talent, but had no idea what to really do with him. I haven't been able to find his work with Kodansha, but the work that he does here in the States is the best. He's been a major influence to the new generation of comics illustrators in this country. I really hate that I missed his appearance at San Diego Comic-Con last year. *grumbles* His blog : http://www.pulphope.blogspot.com/
If you're into seeing a variety of work that is a bit more stylized, pick up Flight. It's an anthology of comic stories from various illustrators who work in comics, storyboards, and animation, etc. I think they are up to volume 4 now with volume 5 coming this summer. Flight : http://www.flightcomics.com/ I could go on. There is so much out there! |
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Yusaku Godai |
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Posts: 3407 (06/30/08 04:45 PM) Long Suffering Ronin |
The only non-manga comic I'm reading right now is Michael Allred's Madman, which I've been a fan of forever. I'll still check out super hero
comics before I'll read the "indie" stuff as its never really done much for me, as varied as it is.
Anyone hear that Michael Turner died the other day? Pretty sad. |
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Yoiko Hibiki |
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Posts: 5128 (06/30/08 05:55 PM) Anything-Goes Martial Artist |
I read Stan Sakai's "Usagi Yojimbo" for many, many years, and what I've seen of "Y: The Last Man" is pretty interesting. Though it
is a superhero book, I have to say that "All-Star Superman" is probably the best American comic book I've ever read. It really captures the
feeling of reading comics I had when I was a little kid.
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andyjay |
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Seven Lucky Gods Martial Artist
Posts: 2738 (06/30/08 08:50 PM) |
Hey Pxhai, have you heard of Carl Barks? He could be called the father of the Donald Duck comics, and he was pretty prolific. He actually created Uncle
Scrooge, first of all, as well as Donald's intricate family tree. And those comics were pretty influential; George Lucas himself said that the rolling
boulder scene at the beginning of Raiders of the Lost Ark came from an Uncle Scrooge story.
I haven't really read much of the Disney comics, but since I was raised on the old cartoons from the '30s and '40s (God I wish the Disney Channel still played them instead Hannah Montana and Zack and Cody), I wish I'd checked them out as a kid. |
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 ryogasgirl |
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Dr. Tofu's Patient
Posts: 224 (06/30/08 09:27 PM) |
I really haven't read alot of western comics except the sunday comics when I was little, but the old Disney cartoons have always been my favorites. I lived
on those things and I agree, Andyjay, I would glue myself to the tv if they started showing it on Disney channel instead of those stupid Hannah Montana, Zach
and Cody, That's so Raven etc etc they show now. Those old cartoons aren't even in syndication anymore...at least not that I've seen. They were on
late at night several years ago, but it's been quite some time now.
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Alindawyl |
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Musk Dynasty Member
Posts: 1843 (07/01/08 08:47 AM) |
When it comes to non-manga, for me it's all about Liberty Meadows. Frank Cho rocks.
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frenchhie |
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Sesshomaru's Toadie
Posts: 9 (07/01/08 04:29 PM) |
Yeah, my friend told me about Michael Turner.
 Also... just noticed that I somehow posted twice? Hmm... I guess I'm rusty to this board. Can someone
delete one of those? 
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Rob Heinbecker |
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Dojo Destroyer
Posts: 1460 (07/01/08 08:44 PM) |
Thats really sad to hear that Michael Turner died. He was quite an artistic talent. But these things happen.
I still live the superhero fantasy but not nearly as much as I used to. I stick with DC and buy Teen Titans, Justice League of America, Wonder Woman and the odd thing that interests me. Gold Digger is my ongoing "indie" champ. That series is just about to top 100 colour issues. Add 50 BnW + a few specials here and there and you have a long-running, well established quality series. Fred Perry, out of San Antonio Texas has been at it for over 15 years. I strongly suspect that after #100 he'll begin to clean up all outstanding plots and begin the endgame for the series.
"The saddest part of a broken heart is not the ending so much as the start." (Leslie) Feist
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Yoiko Hibiki |
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Posts: 5133 (07/02/08 08:27 PM) Anything-Goes Martial Artist |
Rob Heinbecker wrote: What do you think of Wonder Woman now, Rob? I really liked Greg Rucka's run on it, and when they restarted it I thought it was great, but when they
gave it to Gail Simone I lost interest. Honestly I used to like her writing on Birds of Prey, and I think those characters (Black Canary, Oracle and Huntress)
had room for her brand of writing, but she seems to handle Wonder Woman without "sophistication". I'm not sure if that's the right word even,
but Wonder Woman is an institution, like Superman, and I sort of feel like she treats her without much seriousness if that makes sense. I think she trivializes
her, that's probably a better way of saying it.
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Diko Linnai |
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Dr. Tofu's Patient
Posts: 269 (07/06/08 07:50 PM) |
Well alongside the usual DC and Marvel comics I like the webcomic "Sluggy Freelance" and I liked the Boondocks when it was in the newspaper, the show
for it isn't so bad though either. I like anything in the Sunday funnies page too. I do like Justice League too, I liked the New Frontier animated film it
was neat to see their 'original' character designs in motion, and from that time period. Oh and the farside gallery is awesome! When I was a teenager I
used to like the Simpsons comics, too.
But my all time favorite comics other than the above were Matt Groenig's "HELL" series. LOVE IS HELL was my fave. ^_^
"Miss Shinobu won't you have some tea with me?"
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ryogasgirl |
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Dr. Tofu's Patient
Posts: 242 (07/06/08 07:57 PM) |
But my all time favorite comics other than the above were Matt Groenig's "HELL" series. LOVE IS HELL was my fave. ^_^OMG, I remember that book. It was so funny! It had those Simpsons-style bunnies, right? I loved it, I'm going to have to look through my bookcase tonight for that. |
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Rob Heinbecker |
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Dojo Destroyer
Posts: 1465 (07/07/08 11:09 PM) |
Yoiko Hibiki wrote: My interest in the character has been at an ebb lately Yoiko. I liked the Amazon courting ritual she revealed with Nemesis because I thought it would add some depth to the character. But the recent action stories, which are the core reason for reading the book, seem very humdrum. She's been taken outside the context of the DCU where she had greater relevance. The stories recently haven't added anything new to who she is. They retread the noble warrior/ambassador theme without challenging her values. The killing of Maxwell Lord should have had very longterm effects on the character and how those around her react. There should have been more of a public
trial and fallout. It really should have tested her resolve to even operate in "man's" world as WonderWoman.
Wonder Woman's best nemesis was the Cheetah. The George Perez version featuring Barbara Minerva was stunning and frightening. Circe comes in at a close second. Diana is an iconic heroine and she doesn't get the profile she deserves. Hell, they can't even a movie project off the ground. Linda Carter was great back in the day, but we should be able to discuss the good points and bad points of Linda Carter vs ??? But this speaks to a larger incompetence of DC/TimeWarner. When Marvel can make nearly a dozen films of their characters in the last seven years and DC only has Superman and Batman (Hellblazer too I suppose) out there to look at, well, you'd think they weren't interested in making money.
"The saddest part of a broken heart is not the ending so much as the start." (Leslie) Feist
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Yoiko Hibiki |
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Posts: 5144 (07/08/08 01:35 AM) Anything-Goes Martial Artist |
Your right about the Kapatellis', I have no idea why Byrne simply rehashed them with the Sandsmarks. But that's Byrne for you I guess, I don't think much of him as a writer (and for some reason to me his art has never looked as good as it did back in his X-Men days...) And I couldn't agree with you more that Diana seems like she's totally separate from the rest of the DC Universe. I was honestly glad when the rest of the Amazons vanished in the OMAC attack, and was hoping that that would allow Diana to ditch the mythology heavy storylines and focus more on superheroics, or at the very least establishing some sort of setting for her ala Metropolis/Gotham City. It just seems like everytime she has an adventure she has to fly off somewhere to do it. I think at times Marvel has had similar problems with Thor, he seems very seperate from the overall Marvel Universe and it's difficult to integrate him with the larger story at times. And now they've brought Hippolyta back. She was another character Byrne messed up by having her go back in time and become the first Wonder Woman with
the JSA... ugh.. Byrne... I didn't really think she added much to the story, so I don't know why the brought her back.
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andyjay |
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Seven Lucky Gods Martial Artist
Posts: 2754 (07/15/08 07:49 AM) |
Call this a shameless plug, but here's a webcomic my brother and his friend have been working on on-and-off. I wish I could draw that well on a computer
drawing program. But as far as comics and animation go, I actually prefer the old 2-D ink-and/or-paint look anyway.
http://spifforama.comicgenesis.com/ |
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