My pal Sloan got me hooked on Webcomics Weekly, a podcast featuring webcomic artists Brad Guigar of Evil Inc., Dave Kellett of Sheldon, Kris Straub of Starslip Crisis, and Scott Kurtz of PvP. I’m not sure I’ll ever have much of a need for their advice, and their focus is limited mostly to the kind of gag strips they produce, but I find their podcast to be entertaining in its own right.

Recently, a number of print and webcartoonists debated the financial merits of their respective fields at both Fleen and The Daily Cartoonist. The discussion has since moved to an audio format for a special episode of Webcomics Weekly, with a mingling of various types of artists making their case for the betterment of all types of professional cartooning.

As someone who makes a living in a creative field, albeit one mostly on the outside of the area being discussed, I find the whole controversy both fascinating and a little too familiar for comfort.

I was so happy to find some Dr.Pepper over here and this can is a great bonus!

This may be the greatest country ever simply for all the great art you can find on the most unexpected things. Just about every boring old company has cool artwork or at least an amazingly strange mascot. I’ll have to go hunting and take some pictures of them sometime soon.

Crazy can, but same great taste. Outside of North America I’ve found it tough to find anything other than cola or sprite, although I hear there’s a cucumber flavoured Coke coming out here soon. I’ll keep you updated!

Despite the acclaim, I never did cozy up to Frank Robbins’ artwork. The characters that were meant to be attractive always seemed a little off to me, with their beady eyes, tiny mouths and rigid jaws. In a way, Robbins reminds me of Kirby. Unlike The King, who had unique talents in areas outside of rendering beautiful people, many of Robbins’ peers were more than capable of accomplishing what he couldn’t, and then some. With one exception.

I was leafing through a collection of Johnny Hazard strips when I realized that I was approaching them from the wrong direction. The stylization that turned me off of the heroes and femme fatales of Robbins’ work enhanced his grotesques, namely the villains and the occasional supporting character. It’s as if Chester Gould collaborated on Terry and the Pirates.

Hidden within my stacks of Archie comics are a handful of knock-offs. The cover of this issue of Binky’s Buddies caught my eye while I was looking for something for the return of Archie Thursdays. Am I just unaware of the slang of the times, or is this completely filthy?

Urban Dictionary confirms one possible interpretation of ‘ignition’, and it’s a little shocking for a DC comic. Nothing really matches ‘carburetors’, though the addition of the word ‘twin’ gives us some clue as to its use here. But what about ‘heap’? Is that similar to ‘junk in the trunk’? And if so, what does it mean for Peggy’s butt? That she gains more power when ignited due to increased expansion of hot gas?

I can’t even guess how Peggy figured that this was directed to her in the first place, but I have to give her props for those pants.

Kids these days think the term ‘old school’ only goes back as far as their Nintendos and their Snorks.

Before you were born your grandma and grandpa were dishing out punishment with a wrench, the wing of a plane and some good ol’ American gumption. Now that’s ‘old school’.

When he was a kid Bahlactus walked four miles, in a blizzard, uphill in both directions just so he could school you!

The only thing better than the Ironman theme song is the Homem de Ferro theme song

’nuff said.

My cut-off date for Archie comics is usually 1985, but I’m willing to make the occasional exception. My most recent purchase was a copy of Jughead’s Double Digest #138, which contains a reprint of the first issue of Jughead’s solo book. I was even pleasantly surprised to find a few vintage stories sprinkled throughout, though I’m hesitant to look at them for fear of alterations (link courtesy of Journalista).

The real standout was the story Pop’s Last Stand, though not in a good way. In it, the Riverdale gang rallies to defend Pop Tate’s Choklit Shop from the legal machinations of burger conglomerate Pop’s, who are attempting to sue Pop Tate for trademark infringement.  What gets me is the gall of Archie Comics to publish such a story, considering their own litigious strong arming.

Nine years ago Archie Comics filed a lawsuit against the owners of Veronica.org, a website named after their toddler, for trademark infringement. That’s right, Archie Comics was attempting to corner the market on all Veronicas, four-colour and otherwise. Archie Comics eventually backed down, but not before taking a few hits in the media.

Either Pop’s Last Stand was some Archie writer’s sly attempt at sneaking in a dig at their employers, or Archie Comics has a lot of fucking nerve.

I recently got a new gig that involves me doing art for the sequel to the zany adventures of Hairy Pothead. This time, along with old friends Herbonne, Gon Weedly and Head Master Alwaze Duinthedope; Hairy must uncover the mysteries of the 420 Code.

I never read Harry Potter or watched the movies, so reading writer Dana Larson’s take on these characters is more real to me than anything else out there. Despite what anyone else might think of the subject matter, I think it’s educational for people into that kinda stuff and I have a fun time drawing it. I think it’s supposed to be coming out in November this year. In the meantime, may I recommend the first volume of this epic, Hairy Pothead and the Marijuana Stone?

“If you hate Tolkien, but you love Frank Frazetta heavy metal album covers, this is the Thor for you.” - Matt Fraction

I saw the advertisement on the back of The Comics Journal #132 years after its publication, but even so I was sorely tempted to order American Nostalgia Library’s slipcase edition of the original Monster Society of Evil saga. Now I’m glad I held off, since DC Comics has announced that they intend to reprint the story sometime in 2009. Link courtesy of The Comics Reporter.

The original Monster Society of Evil contained what is probably the longest single storyline of the Golden Age, published over a two year period in issues #22 to #46 of Captain Marvel Adventures. I’m not at all sure how good it actually is, but I love the idea of a comic with the modern-style of multi-issue serialization combined with C.C. Beck’s appealing cartoon style. Add villains like Mr. Mind, Captain Nazi, Goat Man, Mr. Banjo, Adolf Hitler and Crocodile Men to the mix and you can count me in.