11-Nov-2008

Matrix Magazine Review of THEREFORE REPENT!

Montreal's cool hipster art and lit mag Matrix Magazine reviewed us favorably in issue 80.

The full text is now online here, and added to my big ol' virtual scrap book on my blog. :)

I like this Vincent guy, will have to track him down and get him a drink...


THEREFORE REPENT! A Post-Rapture Graphic Novel
by Jim Munroe and Salgood Sam
in [ Reviewed in Matrix 80 ]
Read by Vincent Tinguely

The glory of science fiction and fantasy is the "what if?" factor. In Therefore Repent!, the authors gleefully explore one deceptively simple premise: "What if the Rapture actually happened?"

The graphic novel has a fairly obscure geneology, beginning with a comic book originally conceived as the invention of a couple of characters in his previous (non-graphic) novel, An Opening Act of Unspeakable Evil. A 24-page comic was conceived and written by Munroe, rendered by Michel Lacombe, and posted online. Having invented the post-Rapture scenario for this project, Munroe was interested in pursuing an expanded narrative about the comic book characters, Raven and Mummy, and the strange world they find themselves in. When Munroe was ready to go ahead with Therefore Repent!, Lacombe was no longer available to do the graphics, but Salgood Sam, who'd collaborated previously with Munroe on other small projects, was eager to take on the task.

The result is a sumptuous feast for the eyes (all in black and white), and a pleasingly complex plot that takes its sweet time in unfolding. Munroe lends the fantastic notion of the Rapture a believable texture by introducing the no-less fantastic "reality" of earthly magic, telepathy, transmigration of souls, inner visions, shape-shifting, prestidigitation, and talking dogs. In a sense, he's taking on a very real anxiety - that the most powerful military industrial complex on earth is currently controlled by people who believe in fundamentalist quackery - and proposes that the power of such a belief system isn't as monolithic and indestructable as it might sometimes seem.

Salgood Sam's drawing skills never flag over the epic sweep of the tale, and he feels free to try any number of innovative framing and sequencing techniques. The characters, bizarre as they might seem - a woman with a bird head and a man who goes about wrapped in bandages like a mummy - become fully-rounded in the course of the story, and even the minor characters feel believable to the reader. The result is a spectacular graphic novel, full of angels, demons and unclassifiable creatures, with a brainy subtext that never interferes with the fun.

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posted by max at 11/11/2008 02:56:00 AM 0 comments links to this post

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8-Nov-2008

Home again home again, jiggidy jig

Back from my trip; whirl wind

through Gatineau

Toronto & Windsor.


fatherdaughter The 9th Rendez-vous international de la BD was lovely, Paul and friends go out of their way to make the guests feel welcomed. Also met some very cool people, made a few new friends. I've posted photos from the trip here.

CoverComp-bataCroped-B01In Toronto I got some work done , roughs for Work, and started on a new Bread and Butter project that's proving to be off to a fun start. Will talk more about that later but for now you can see the art here>>.

I had a short interview with Dalson Chen of The Windsor Star, that ran the week before BookFest Windsor here. Came out well I think. Made me laugh when he asked about graphic novels, there was a national post article just before on the same theme that made me roll my eyes.

BookFest Windsor was a pleasure for the most part, including the funny social drama around the final night's party, but I'm getting the impression this goes with the small book festival circuit a bit. Booze + Writers and Poets + Travel? :)

I have a few photos and stuff to post from that shortly.

Also spent a great and somewhat inebriated Halloween with my old friend George, roaming about the town checking out costumes and snapping shots. I made a bit of a video of that here.

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21-Oct-2008

Attending Book Festivals in Gatineau & Windsor

Hey, how was the Turkey?....

So later this month I'll be on the road again, seems like i've been doing that a lot, and i won't be even as much as half what i had planed to in the spring! Man, doing support touring for a book is crazy, or maybe I'm getting old. - Nawwwww......

From the 23rd to the 26th of October, I'll be hanging around the Canadian Museum of Civilization - O_o

...attending the

9th Rendez-vous

international

de la BD

de Gatineau
!


I'll be joined there by 9 other creators, some of who's stuff is eye popping! ; Philippe Aymond, Johanna, Daniel Bosshart, Thierry Coppee, Delaf & Dubuc, Michel Falardeau, Sandra Breault, and Craig A. Taillefer, who i have to thank for getting invited!

The Program and other details are here, in french, and posted here on Sequential in English.
AUTOGRAPH SESSIONS & APPEARANCES

Thu 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
Fri 11:00 am to 12:30 pm
& 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
Sat 10:00 am to 11:00 am
& 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm
Sun 11:30 am to 1:30 pm
& 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm
They have me booked for something called 'Masters at Work' 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm on Thursday.

And
from 11 to 11:30 am for 'Live illustration with Salgood Sam' on Saturday.
Basically in both cases it looks like they want me to draw live in front of people! Going to be needing the antiperspirants there. All of that's @ the main venue, The Canadian Museum of Civilization - Level 2 / Foyer of the Museaum's Theatre [100 Laurier Street]

Looking forward to this. Hope the live show goes well, and if nothing else, getting to spend whatever spare time i have checking out the Museum will be cool!

After that i get on a train - have a few days to kill in Toronto - then I'm booked to attend...


[across the river from Detroit]

Where I'll be spending some time with an old buddy of mine,
George Rizok, one of the lifers' at Rogues Gallery and resident loon on The Comic Book Syndicate [YouTube page].

Saturday at 1pm till 3pm I'll be on a panel discussion:

It's a Bird, it's a Plane, it's a Book!

....ok, corny name i know, but i promise to do my part to make sure it's interesting! We'll be i
n the Studio Room, with Mary-Lou Gelissen, Tony Gray, & George!
I'll also be available for signings and stuff, in the main space of the book festival with the other authors, and Friday I'll be at the
Rogues Gallery comic shop as well from 6pm on.

Going to bring some recent art with me, which I'll be selling maybe but probably not on sight, at least not in Gatineau anyway - but you'll be able to look at it and arrange for something if you seem something you like.

Believe books at both events will be supplied, for sure Therefore Repent! will be on hand, and I'll be making up a batch of RevolveR One's for the occasion, maybe a little something else too, just for the trip!


Also, Expozine has JUST been announced, going to go over to the site now and register, so see you THERE too!

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posted by max at 10/21/2008 11:24:00 PM 0 comments links to this post

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15-Oct-2008

Notable Noting

Ted at IDW just sent us some scans of Best American Comics 2008, where Therefore Repent was listed as one of the "Notable" books to read of 2007!

Pretty cool, I'll have to pick up a copy - looks like it's worth it anyway, some impressive names in it. :)

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posted by max at 10/15/2008 11:10:00 PM 0 comments links to this post

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12-Oct-2008

WORK


Some art stuff to look at, working on a trilogy for
WORK! BLOG - FLICKR


Adream-pg1-roughs

Adream-pg2-3-roughs

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2-Oct-2008

We Invented Someone

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29-Sep-2008

Shuffleboil Reviews Therefore Repent!

Been running about madly and forgetting to promote the book, bad max. Ok, got another cool review here by John E. Mitchell, adding it to my big BIG pile of clippings....

The Rapture has provided adventure fodder for those who believe in it - I'm looking at you especially, Tim LeHaye - as well as those who don't. To the best of my knowledge, though, it's never been depicted as anything other than exactly what is happening. God has taken all the Christians away to Heaven and the Earth is ruled by the Anti Christ, with the Final Battle soon to follow.

In "Therefore Repent!" Canadian team Jim Munroe and Salgood Sam depict a post-Rapture world where nothing is for certain. The creator turn the bizarre religious belief into a science fiction scenario that has the characters actually searching for explanations beyond the accepted one while still working within the parameters of popular legend we all accept, either with straight face or with conspicuous snickers.

Raven and Mummy are two bohemian performance artists who wander around in their performance costumes. Squatting in an abandoned apartment in a little urban neighborhood, the two become acquainted with their surroundings and the other people left behind. One of the givens of the Rapture is that it would create a world populated mostly by artists and ne'er do wells, at least among the respectable crowds.

Munroe and Salgood also play with the likely post-Rapture psychology in regard to reactionary acting out that provide daily dangers and annoyances to the survivors. The Splitters are a group of people who believe there will be a second Rapture and they have one more chance to follow Jesus. Meanwhile, religious militia with names like "God's Faithful" roam around spreading dread.

There is one way to read the Bible - that is between the lines and asking simple questions like "Who is God? What's his story? Why's he so vague about where he comes from and what he wants?" While "Therefore Repent!" may not be moving down that road exactly, it's certainly in that spirit.

The story's conclusion recontextualizes the circumstances of the Apocalypse in an inventive and fun way - oh, yeah, and it's kind of corny. But good corny. The kind of corny that twists things inside out and lays out some intriguing possibilities as it unfolds. The kind of corny that's missing from the eye-rolling corny that infects the belief "Therefore Repents!" lampoons.

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posted by max at 9/29/2008 07:46:00 PM 0 comments links to this post

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31-Aug-2008

Rantz Hoseley: Spread TV CBT Interview

Dave Navarro's Spread TV: Rantz Hoseley: Spread TV Interview: EP 11


Powered by maniaTV.com

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posted by max at 8/31/2008 09:38:00 AM 0 comments links to this post

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27-Aug-2008

Honolulu Lorie's Lava Love Lounge and Poodle Emporium

First page all lettered up, wrapping up my Popgun 3 story the next few days, if you don't hear from me i'm in the bar...

-HLL-PG-P1final-

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posted by max at 8/27/2008 05:34:00 AM 0 comments links to this post

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Revolution on the Planet of the Apes on Hype Space.

This is old, but i just found it. This is Ty Templeton, artist writer and editor extraordinaire, and our boss for Revolution on the Planet of the Apes.

He appeared on Space to hype the books when they came out, and they used a lot of my art from #1 for this. The publisher has been having second thoughts about doing a collection, if your someone who would like to see the Revolution on the Planet of the Apes books collected, like i would, write Mr. Comics and tell them about it for me please?


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posted by max at 8/27/2008 12:42:00 AM 0 comments links to this post

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15-Aug-2008

Rantz on ISR on about CBT

Been catching up on my comics pods.

Listening to lots of stuff while i fling ink madly at this.

Finally got to my friends at Indy Spinner Rack! Done some editing for their show in the past and got to press the flesh in NY a few weeks back. Really enjoyed sitting with them at the Con, and all the rest. didn't have enough time to hang out, i Will be back.

Wish I'd bloody gone with them to Hero Con as almost planed! darrrr! That would have been so much better than staying at home and breaking up with my girlfriend. I am such a dummy sometimes, it amazes me.

In episode #134 Charlito and Mr. Phil talked with our editor and facilitator for the massive Comic Book Tattoo. Mr Rantz Hoseley.

I had to blush, I had not heard the 'reasoning' for our story being chosen to preview on MySpace before. And I'm not above sharing it with you here.

Clip of Rantz embarrassing me along with many others in the book is here bellow, and you can catch the whole conversation on the ISR site here.



Hear he's back at the just regular insanity of getting Displaced Persons wrapped up! Hope he's getting a bit more sleep now after the wild success at the SDCC!

Last week we were also told the book was the #2 bestseller on Buy.com, #15 on Amazon's graphic novel bestseller list & #35 on Bookscan's!

Glee.


Cheers!

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posted by max at 8/15/2008 05:11:00 AM 0 comments links to this post

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27-Jul-2008

The Big Launch - Comic Book Tattoo.

Been inking, and writing, and doing a lot of walking still.

Up side to the insanity of visiting Toronto is all the exercise, reminds me to keep it going at home. With the always present list of things to do when your freelance, it easy to forget to get off your ass sometimes.

And of course the net always calls to be fed. To bad it doesn't take walks and crap itself. Been contemplating getting a dog friend lately.

Didn't get to the big SDCC this year. Had thought I would but changed my mind. Timing was just not suitable - need to get a lot done this month.

But Damn, it would have been cool to have been there for the official big launch of Comic Book Tattoo, Tori Amos's monster anthology book!

The photo here of a panel is by the K-Squared: They have a nice full report posted about the panel at the con, with Amos, Rantz, and 6 of the contributors. And the Tori Amos signing later. And there is a clip of the panel posted here on Flicker by comiquero.com, dug up by Russell Lissau.

There's also some cool shots up on Rantz flicker stream. And K. Star St.Germain posted the first page from what looks like a stunning story
here. And i love this shot Sarah Jaffe took of herself with the book. There's a set here of one of the signings. And bellow is Rantz with some folks who posted this on their feed, proud owners of a limited edition. I believe word is everything that went with them to SDCC is gone, all sold out! There's a lot of buz on this thing.

Quite excited to see this thing, been kind of holding out in an act of perverse denial of reward i suppose. :)

I hope my story printed well. Kind of afraid to see how it looks along side some of the other stuff in the previews!

ED: New Stuff.
1st Review of the book.

Posed here on Bust. Dug up by Derek.

And CBR has, a TV channel...? First i've here of this...

In anticipation of the debut of Comic Book Tattoo at Comic-Con International in San Diego, CBR TV, in association with MySpace Comic Books, caught up with Tori Amos at Amoeba Music in Hollywood for an exclusive one-on-one interview about the new massive Image Comics anthology, which features new work by a host of sequential art's brightest and most innovative talents, all turning in new work based on the songs of Tori Amos.


There's that link to Star's work, and mine & Mark's up on Myspace, you also get this sneak peek on CBR, these on undented.com, this with Jennifer M. Contino on the the PULSE, a publisher's weekly article here, and aintitcool.com does it's thing here with more lovely art, AOL/Spinner has a huge interview and article with Rantz, Tori, David Mack, Colleen Doran, and Ted McKeever here. And finally from newsarama this is the FULL line up, feast the eyes.

David Mack
Josh Hechinger, Matthew Humphreys, Kristyn Ferretti (L)
Jonathan Tsuei, Eric Canete
Jason Horn, Dean Trippe
Sara Ryan, Jonathan Case
Rantz A. Hoseley, James Stokoe
Tristan Crane, Atticus Wolrab
Kako
Nikki Cook
Drew Bell, Kevin Mellon, Mark Sweeney (C)
Jeff Carroll, Mike May
Jeremy Haun, Amber Stone (C)
Leif Jones
Elizabeth Genco, Carla Speed Mcneil, Mark Sweeney (C)
Kelly Sue Deconnick, Andy Macdonald,Nick Filardi(C),Kristyn Ferretti(L)
Cat Mihos, Andre Szymanowicz, Gabe Bautista(C), Kristyn Ferretti(L)
C.B. Cebulksi, Ethan Young, Joey Weltjens & Lee Duhig For Guru Efx (C)
Omaha Perez
Irma Page, Mark Buckingham
Rantz A. Hoseley, Ming Doyle, Mark Sweeney(C), Kristyn Ferretti (L)
Mike Maihack
John Ney Reiber, Ryan Kelly, Kristyn Ferretti (L)
Alice Hunt, Trudy Cooper
Jonathan Hickman
Matthew S. Armstrong
Neil Kleid, Christopher Mitten, Kristyn Ferretti(L)
Stephanie Leong, Sonia Leong
Peov
Kelly Sue Deconnick, Laurenn Mccubbin
John Bivens
Hope Larson
Emma Vieceli, Faye Yong(C)
Chris Arrant, Star St.Germain
Mike Dringenberg
Paul Maybury
Jim Bricker, Craig Taillefer
Dame Darcy
G. Willow Wilson, Steve Sampson
Neal Shaffer, Daniel Krall
Adisakdi Tantimedh, Ken Meyer Jr.
Mark Sable, Salgood Sam
Tom Williams
James Owen
Seth Peck, Daniel Heard
Ivan Brandon, Callum Alexander Watt
Leah Moore & John Reppion, Pia Guerra, Mark Sweeney, Kristyn Ferretti
Jessica Staley, Shane White
Ted Mckeever, Chris Chuckry (C)
Jimmie Robinson
Lea Hernandez
Derek Mcculloch, Colleen Doran, Jason Hanley (L)


wOW!

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posted by max at 7/27/2008 01:22:00 AM 3 comments links to this post

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20-Jul-2008

Got a musical crush


Still in Toronto for another day, but soon I'll be back at work. In the mean time though....

RonleyTeperAttheTranzacClubInToronto



After the con, i was able to finally catch Ronley Teper & co preforming @the Tranzac in Toronto Live. This is a band/performer i've been following for a little while now, found her via myspace, my cousin plays with her sometimes. you can check her out here.

http://www.myspace.com/ronleyteper

Also lots of links on youtube with the vid, check them ALL out. :)







The great thing was that i wanted to see this show but forgot the day of about it, lost in Kensington market reminiscing w old friends. Made some new ones too. Then me and john walked up to Bloor on Brunswick to get some sushi, and lo there we were passing the Tranzac! Ronley was out side and we said hello, got the stage time and grabbed a great din before the show. Nice night.



So, want a bit more?



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posted by max at 7/20/2008 01:32:00 PM 0 comments links to this post

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3-Jul-2008

Exclusive preview of Upside Down
for COMIC BOOK TATTOO!

So as i was saying, here we go.

Thanks to Tori and Rantz, we are very honored to present Mark and I's upside down interpretation of Upside Down [vid]
.

It's been posted on MySpace Comic Books site today as a preview for the book. You can read it all there! :)

Mark and I are working on an interview with each other to be posted soon to go with this.

This was a great short story to work on, I'm very happy with how the collaboration with Mark tuned out, very excited about this one.

Comic Book Tattoo is going to be an amazing showcase book, i haven't read the other stories yet, but i've seen lots of the pages here and there - the book looks amazing!

This is the first of three anthologies I'm going to be in between now and December, what a way to kick things off.

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posted by max at 7/03/2008 07:16:00 PM 0 comments links to this post

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1-Jul-2008

a film about the roerich garden project in montreal

Found this on you tube about a project by a local artist i know. Emily Rose Michaud & company built it in the winter. Miss Janet made this excellent 6 min doc about the day Emily and a team of volunteers set it up together over the course of one very cold day. The Garden lived on, you can keep up with their progress here. It's pretty damn cool.

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posted by max at 7/01/2008 11:23:00 PM 0 comments links to this post

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