Indie Comics

Even allowing for all the ongoing Nü 52 hype, the hottest comic this week was definitely OUR LOVE IS REAL by Sam Humphries and Steven Sanders, a self published tale with a laded look at a futuristic world where people have sex with animals, vegetables and minerals--but still want something more. Of course it sounds prurient, but it's really a thought-provoking SF tale with some lovely art by Sanders. If there were an intelligent version of HEAVY METAL in existence, this would be the lead story.

The complete BIG QUESTIONS by Anders Nilsen is ure to be one of the books of the year, a 600+ page meditati

Anina Bennett wrote to share the cover to FUTURAMA #57, a steampunk story which includes a mashup of acerbic robot Bender with historical chameleon robot Boilerplate (created by Paul Guinan and Bennett) called...Benderplate. It had to happen.

Religious bookstores remain one of the pillars of the independent bookstore world, but companies trying to target them with comics have had varying levels of success -- or failure. PW reports on Kingstone Media which has jumped into the category with funding and a wide ranging line of books:

Jason Patric and Lucy Punch have been cast as as Detectives Christian Walker and Deena Pilgrim for the Powers pilot in production for FX.

When alt-comix superstar Brian Chippendale reviews mainstream comics, the result illuminates us all this episode he examines the X-men, the new UNCANNY #1, and fanboy style, suggests that consecutive numbering didn't hurt X-MEN #94:

Exhibitor applications for this year's Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Festival are now available; although the show is curated, all submissions will be reviewed, according to a letter from co-director Gabe Fowler. This year's show will be held December 3rd at the Mt. Carmel Church in Williamsburg.

Toronto Comics Art Festival Director Chris Butcher has a big round-up, thank you post that reveals that this years events drew a total of 15,000 people to the various venues. He also reveals that next year's show will be held May 5-6:

Tom Hart's essential zeitgeist character Hutch Owen gets his third collection this fall, Let's Get Furious!, due from Top Shelf:

Cartoonist Mike Dawson has revealed the cover for TROOP 142, his Boy Scout epic coming out from Secret Acres this fall. The book will debut at SPX. TROOP 142 ran as a webcomic and follows a group of Boy Scouts on a retreat in 1995 and the things they learn about boyhood, manhood and more. It's an excellent story, without sentiment, and has already won an Ignatz as Best Online Comic.

Indie comics legend Steve Lafler is back with his best known creation, the raffish, brutal DOG BOY. The strip will appear at CO2 Comics starting tomorrow.

From Michael DeForge at WHAT THINGS DO.