Giant Robot Store and GR2 News

While many of this year’s Comic-Con attendees geeked out on The Walking Dead, Dr. Who, and superhero movie panels, I was foaming at the mouth over Drawn & Quarterly‘s advance release of the Reggie 12 anthology. Each time an issue of Giant Robot was about to hit the presses, I’d get in touch with Brian Ralph to ask him about the back-page strip and he’d always respond that it would be ready soon. I’m pretty sure that he’d start cranking on it right after getting off the phone or closing his email browser.

It was a real honor to have Reggie 12 in Giant Robot. It was also a perfect fit, as well, with Brian’s punk rock background (Fort Thunder), indie publishing past (Highwater Books), and use of vintage manga and robot toy themes (from Mighty Atom to UFO Dai Apolon). Talk about a love connection.

Seeing the strips blown up from magazine size and stock to news digest dimensions with eye-popping two-color is a real treat and, even better, Brian will be hitting the road to promote the book. To help promote both, I hit up my friend (and Professor of Sequential Art at the Savannah College of Art and Design) with some questions. He not only provided informative, funny answers but has given a never-before-seen peek into the conceptual sketches. Hot damn!

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While many of this year’s Comic-Con attendees geeked out on The Walking Dead, Dr. Who, and superhero movie panels, I was foaming at the mouth over Drawn & Quarterly‘s advance release of the Reggie 12 anthology. Each time an issue of Giant Robot was about to hit the presses, I’d get in touch with Brian Ralph to ask him about the back-page strip and he’d always respond that it would be ready soon. I’m pretty sure that he’d start cranking on it right after getting off the phone or closing his email browser.

It was a real honor to have Reggie 12 in Giant Robot. It was also a perfect fit, as well, with Brian’s punk rock background (Fort Thunder), indie publishing past (Highwater Books), and use of vintage manga and robot toy themes (from Mighty Atom to UFO Dai Apolon). Talk about a love connection.

Seeing the strips blown up from magazine size and stock to news digest dimensions with eye-popping two-color is a real treat and, even better, Brian will be hitting the road to promote the book. To help promote both, I hit up my friend (and Professor of Sequential Art at the Savannah College of Art and Design) with some questions. He not only provided informative, funny answers but has given a never-before-seen peek into the conceptual sketches. Hot damn!

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I went to Comic-Con and actually came back with comic books. Go figure! Above, Congressman John Lewis with his graphic novel debut. Below, some reviews.

Brian Ralph, Reggie-12
Giant Robot readers who lovingly recall the two-color strip that owned the back page for years should be stoked about this. I know I am. With jumbo proportions and a very cool spot-UV job on the cover that has to be seen to be believed, this deluxe collection makes the strips look better than they ever did in the magazine. Bigger, bolder, and run side-by-side, the craftsmanship and storytelling are revealed to be every bit as masterful as the strips that inspired them–Felix, Atom, Nancy. Essential not only for fans of vintage manga but classic comic strips in general. [Drawn and Quarterly]

John Stanley, Nancy
I was already familiar with (and smitten by) Ernie Bushmiller’s strips via the Kitchen Sink reprints, and these stories from the Dell comic books are similarly essential. The four-color reprint gloriously captures the Little Lulu writer’s take on Nancy from 1957 through 1958, and is loaded with surrealism, class consciousness, and classic storytelling. Can be read by children and dissected by art majors with equal enjoyment and gusto. [Drawn and Quarterly]

Shigeru Mizuki, Kitaro
For EC Comics freaks and Takashi Miike junkies alike, this is the holy grail of Japanese horror comics and it is finally being made available to the mass market. Somewhere between The Addams Family and The Twilight Zone in character and tone, the classic manga series which began running in 1959 follows a one-eyed monster boy and his equally whimsical and monstrous yokai friends. Too creepy, fun, and culturally pervasive for words. Just go get it already. [Drawn and Quarterly]

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I went to Comic-Con and actually came back with comic books. Go figure! Above, Congressman John Lewis with his graphic novel debut. Below, some reviews.

Brian Ralph, Reggie-12
Giant Robot readers who lovingly recall the two-color strip that owned the back page for years should be stoked about this. I know I am. With jumbo proportions and a very cool spot-UV job on the cover that has to be seen to be believed, this deluxe collection makes the strips look better than they ever did in the magazine. Bigger, bolder, and run side-by-side, the craftsmanship and storytelling are revealed to be every bit as masterful as the strips that inspired them–Felix, Atom, Nancy. Essential not only for fans of vintage manga but classic comic strips in general. [Drawn and Quarterly]

John Stanley, Nancy
I was already familiar with (and smitten by) Ernie Bushmiller’s strips via the Kitchen Sink reprints, and these stories from the Dell comic books are similarly essential. The four-color reprint gloriously captures the Little Lulu writer’s take on Nancy from 1957 through 1958, and is loaded with surrealism, class consciousness, and classic storytelling. Can be read by children and dissected by art majors with equal enjoyment and gusto. [Drawn and Quarterly]

Shigeru Mizuki, Kitaro
For EC Comics freaks and Takashi Miike junkies alike, this is the holy grail of Japanese horror comics and it is finally being made available to the mass market. Somewhere between The Addams Family and The Twilight Zone in character and tone, the classic manga series which began running in 1959 follows a one-eyed monster boy and his equally whimsical and monstrous yokai friends. Too creepy, fun, and culturally pervasive for words. Just go get it already. [Drawn and Quarterly]

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After attending for 24 years I still love Comic-Con. Crowds and corporations can’t ruin the annual gathering that is Halloween, Christmas, and the first day of summer for me. The costumes, goods, and energy are unbeatable–not to mention hanging out with my twin brother, friends from elementary school, and other people that matter from all over the place. Best Comic-Con ever? It this year felt like that–or at least a return to focusing on comic books for me.

DAY 1

After picking up our badges in perhaps the easiest line ever (one of the things Comic-Con gets right), my brother Greg and I made our annual donations at the Robert A. Heinlein Blood Drive.

Then we went straight to Hall H to catch the panel for Europa Report. I don’t often buy into the lines and hype of the Con’s biggest hall, but couldn’t miss the scoop on the indie sci-fi flick featuring my longtime friend, Hong Kong movie star, and Giant Robot contributor Daniel Wu. Shockingly, the line was reasonable and we were rewarded with an awesome trailer as well as some killer footage accompanied by earth-shaking audio. The panel, which featured director Sebastián Cordero, composer Bear McCreary, actress Karolina Wydra, and two consultants from JPL, focused mostly on how the movie is scientifically sound. Karolina told some pretty funny stories about wearing the scientifically correct spacesuits. The movie looks amazing and intense, and I wish the panel also mentioned the flick’s more kick-ass elements. Too bad there was no time for a Q&A session because I wanted to bring up Dan’s role in it. Go see the film, and get more info here!

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