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| art by Alex Cormack |
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| art by Alex Cormack |
Tuesday, May 07, 2019
Uglydolls v Transformers
Bliss on Tap concept art by Alex Cormack for an Uglydolls/Transformers crossover for Hasbro & STX Entertainment.
Monday, May 06, 2019
Train 8 The Zombie Express #2 review by Steven Leitman
Click here for the link
Train 8 The Zombie Express #2
Bliss On Tap Publishing/ BPositive Films 2018
Created & Written by David Stephan & Marysol Levant
Illustrated by Alex Cormack
Coloured by Ashley & Alex Cormack
Lettered by Ales Murillo
Train 8 speeds through the wilds of northern Idaho, barrellingthrough its scheduled stops. Confused and panicked, a group of surviving passengers have barricaded themselves into the last Observation Car. Unable to contact the Engine cab, the Train Conductor plans to lead a volunteer group to the front of the Train. If they can stop the Train, they will survive this nightmare...or so they think.
While I do love the idea here, every time I look at the book all I can think of is Train to Busan which was Bloody Brilliant for a new genre of zombie film and that it was in Korean that didn’t deter me from enjoying the hell out of it. Now that being said there are a number of things that set this apart from that feature film. I like the way that this book is structured as well as the oversized issues so that they can fit more into an issue while allowing it to feel right. By right I mean there is a logical stopping point in the story leaving the reader saying “wait what no, that’s it!” and wanting more.
I like that we see this being told from multiple angles and not just from inside the train itself. Although that’s really where all the action is. It could have worked that way but I like that they have noticed the runaway train and making attempts at stopping it. Plus with all the technology at their disposal finding patient zero and tracing back to maybe finding a cure or at the very least destroy all the work is definitely being utilised well. Plus it gives us a look at new characters and I for one appreciate that break from the terror on the train.
The characterisation here is marvellous! We see all the personality types and some that are floating up and down between them. Fear can do some serious damage if you let it, or you can step up find that inner strength you didn’t know you had and as the phrase goes “man up.” So that we have those we want to see be eaten, such a terrible thing to say lol, and those we are rooting for, which is dangerous since they always seem to die, all based on the characterisation which is their dialogue and their actions.
I am a huge fan of Alex and the work that he does. It has been a privilege and an honour to see him grow as an artist. This one is a tad older yet you can see those flashes where you are like, hot damn this guy is good! The way he’s able to manipulate the varying weights of the linework to coax out this stunning attention to detail is so much fun to see. The panel construction here is something else, I mean through the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show us his stellar eye for storytelling, but it’s how the panels are constructed, utilised (see backgrounds) that make this book as effective as it is. Also it is surprisingly gore free though there is plenty of blood and that leads me to the colour work we see in these pages. This too is exceptionally well done and the way that the train’s limited light sources are utilised and how we see the intensity and horror they do is magnificent.
This is a well developed story with a strong plot and direction. I am hugely impressed with the characterisation and the characters use of their own minds and abilities here. Instead of laying down waiting to die a horrible and gruesome death they have a plan but the question remains can they do anything to stop the train and get out alive while not letting the zombies out?
Train 8 The Zombie Express #2
Bliss On Tap Publishing/ BPositive Films 2018
Created & Written by David Stephan & Marysol Levant
Illustrated by Alex Cormack
Coloured by Ashley & Alex Cormack
Lettered by Ales Murillo
Train 8 speeds through the wilds of northern Idaho, barrellingthrough its scheduled stops. Confused and panicked, a group of surviving passengers have barricaded themselves into the last Observation Car. Unable to contact the Engine cab, the Train Conductor plans to lead a volunteer group to the front of the Train. If they can stop the Train, they will survive this nightmare...or so they think.
While I do love the idea here, every time I look at the book all I can think of is Train to Busan which was Bloody Brilliant for a new genre of zombie film and that it was in Korean that didn’t deter me from enjoying the hell out of it. Now that being said there are a number of things that set this apart from that feature film. I like the way that this book is structured as well as the oversized issues so that they can fit more into an issue while allowing it to feel right. By right I mean there is a logical stopping point in the story leaving the reader saying “wait what no, that’s it!” and wanting more.
I like that we see this being told from multiple angles and not just from inside the train itself. Although that’s really where all the action is. It could have worked that way but I like that they have noticed the runaway train and making attempts at stopping it. Plus with all the technology at their disposal finding patient zero and tracing back to maybe finding a cure or at the very least destroy all the work is definitely being utilised well. Plus it gives us a look at new characters and I for one appreciate that break from the terror on the train.
The characterisation here is marvellous! We see all the personality types and some that are floating up and down between them. Fear can do some serious damage if you let it, or you can step up find that inner strength you didn’t know you had and as the phrase goes “man up.” So that we have those we want to see be eaten, such a terrible thing to say lol, and those we are rooting for, which is dangerous since they always seem to die, all based on the characterisation which is their dialogue and their actions.
I am a huge fan of Alex and the work that he does. It has been a privilege and an honour to see him grow as an artist. This one is a tad older yet you can see those flashes where you are like, hot damn this guy is good! The way he’s able to manipulate the varying weights of the linework to coax out this stunning attention to detail is so much fun to see. The panel construction here is something else, I mean through the page layouts and how we see the angles and perspective in the panels show us his stellar eye for storytelling, but it’s how the panels are constructed, utilised (see backgrounds) that make this book as effective as it is. Also it is surprisingly gore free though there is plenty of blood and that leads me to the colour work we see in these pages. This too is exceptionally well done and the way that the train’s limited light sources are utilised and how we see the intensity and horror they do is magnificent.
This is a well developed story with a strong plot and direction. I am hugely impressed with the characterisation and the characters use of their own minds and abilities here. Instead of laying down waiting to die a horrible and gruesome death they have a plan but the question remains can they do anything to stop the train and get out alive while not letting the zombies out?
Friday, May 03, 2019
Wednesday, April 24, 2019
Weed Magic No.3 is now available in comic book stores
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| Weed Magic No.3 |
Tuesday, March 19, 2019
Thursday, March 14, 2019
Emerald City Comic Con 2019 - Bliss on Tap booth 1701
CLICK HERE FOR BOOTH AND COMIC CON INFO
Emerald City Comic Con has begun! Check us out in Bliss on Tap booth 1701 and pick up all the latest books.
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| Bliss on Tap booth 1701 |
Emerald City Comic Con has begun! Check us out in Bliss on Tap booth 1701 and pick up all the latest books.
Monday, February 04, 2019
But Like Maybe? in The New York Times
CLICK HERE FOR THE LINK
Instagram’s Sneakiness Makes Super Bowl Ads Look Quaint
When the commercials come on during the game, at least you’ll know Jason Bateman is trying to sell you something.
By Sheila Marikar
Ms. Marikar is a Los Angeles-based writer
Feb. 2, 2019
"...Among companies with products to promote and Instagram influencers with themselves to promote, authenticity has become a goal, a thing that people try to reverse engineer either by turning the kid next door into a pitchman — in the case of Johnson & Johnson — or by posting what we’re supposed to believe are unfiltered accounts of their daily lives, like the makeup guru who posts a selfie in her mussed but not messy bed, claiming she “woke up like this.”
“If you’re trying to be authentic, by definition, you’re not authentic — you’re manufacturing your online persona,” said Arianna Margulis, the artist behind the Instagram-based comic strip But Like Maybe(it’s like “Cathy” for millennials and Generation Z). Ms. Margulis says she follows the guidelines laid out by the Federal Trade Commission and discloses when she’s being paid for a post: she’s done advertisements for brands like Harper’s Bazaar, the dating app Hinge and Pizza Hut. But those guidelines aren’t always clear, and a frequently asked questions page on the F.T.C.’s websitepoints to confusion around who qualifies as an influencer and what qualifies as an advertisement.
Take this sample question: “If I post a picture of myself to Instagram and tag the brand of dress I’m wearing, but don’t say anything about the brand in my description of the picture, is that an endorsement? And, even if it is an endorsement, wouldn’t my followers understand that I only tag the brands of my sponsors?” (Short answer: Tagging a brand is an endorsement and may require disclosure. Don’t assume that your followers know anything.)
Ms. Margulis’s line of work has become so sought after that people who are not paid in money, sneakers, or makeup are claiming sponsorships from brands like Nike and Sephora in their posts so as to “fake it ’til they make it” as social media influencers. “They’ll caption a post ‘#sponsored,’ even though they’re not sponsored, to either impress their followers or to impress companies that they want to get paid by,” said Brian Braiker, the editor in chief of the magazine AdAge.....
Tuesday, January 29, 2019
WEED MAGIC NO.3 (FEB191544) - in stores April 20th
Click here for ordering info
After literally altering the course of ancient history, Moe and Bunny get serious and decide that they must use the awesome powers of Weed Magic to help the good citizens of Hollyweird. After reanimating their trusted simian sidekick, Senator Dimples, Moe, and Bunny pay a visit to a "whistle blower" client of Irv's looking for legal protection from his vengeful boss. Little could Moe have anticipated that his 'legal advice' would require defeating a 420-foot woman hellbent on trashing all of Hollyweird. Red Eyes. Full Bong. Can't Lose.
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| Weed Magic No.3 by Bliss on Tap |
FEB191544
(W) Brian Phillipson, Jordan Lichtman (A/CA) Alex Cormack
After literally altering the course of ancient history, Moe and Bunny get serious and decide that they must use the awesome powers of Weed Magic to help the good citizens of Hollyweird. After reanimating their trusted simian sidekick, Senator Dimples, Moe, and Bunny pay a visit to a "whistle blower" client of Irv's looking for legal protection from his vengeful boss. Little could Moe have anticipated that his 'legal advice' would require defeating a 420-foot woman hellbent on trashing all of Hollyweird. Red Eyes. Full Bong. Can't Lose.
SRP: $4.20
Tuesday, January 22, 2019
Alex Nino nominated for Eisner Hall of Fame
Click here for the press release
Congratulations to artist Alex Nino (God the Dyslexic Dog, Monster Candyand Andie and the Alien) on his well-deserved Eisner Hall of Fame nomination.
Alex Niño was among the Philippine comics artists recruited for U.S. comic books by DC Comics editor Joe Orlando and publisher Carmine Infantino in 1971. Niño’s earliest DC work was drawing stories for House of Mystery, Weird War Tales, and other supernatural anthologies, as well as the jungle-adventure feature “Korak” in Tarzan. In the decades since then, Niño has drawn all types of stories for DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Warren Publishing (Creepy, Eerie, and Vampirella), Heavy Metal, Byron Preiss, Dark Horse Comics, and other publishers. Starting in the 1980s, Niño branched out into movies and video games, doing design work and concept art for Hanna-Barbera, Sega, and Walt Disney Pictures (Mulanand Atlantis). Niño received an Inkpot Award in 1976.
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