Over the years that I’ve contributed for The Beat, I’ve gotten to preview some pretty-interesting projects in the making, as well as talk to their equally-interesting creators. A little more than two years ago, I had a phone interview with two women who called themselves the “Gibbs Girls.” They were working on a steam-punk inspired comic that takes place at the dawn of the 20th century and during the Industrial Age. The story followed a female, African American inventor named Ada Turner who creates the first flying machine. Last week, the Gibbs Girls reached out and informed me that the comic had finally come out.
No Fairytale Ending for San Diego’s Villainous Lair
Another closing of a comic shop; another end to a piece of one’s comic community. For the last six and a half years, Villainous Lair has served as not only a comic and game store, but a hub for many comic book and popular culture fans in San Diego, California. Villainous Lair Comics first opened […]
Interview: Celebrating the harmonious voice of women & art in RESIST! Vol. 2
For many, this past January 20th was an abdication of the American ideal. No longer was talent, perspicacity, or a genuine desire to see thoughtful policy positions going to be the norm. Instead, boundless braggadocio and mendacity reigned. With the Trump Administration ascendant, it seemed like only dark times were ahead. But almost immediately, events […]
Is Valiant an Indie? Shamdasani and Simons Discuss
What is an indie comics publisher? NO one seems to have the definitive answer!
San Diego’s Little Fish Comic Studio Is Educating A New Generation of Fans, Artists, and Writers
In recent years, more teachers and librarians are finally recognizing the educational appeal of comic-books. Yes, we the fans have known of their artistry, their (mostly) great writing, and the sheer enjoyment they illicit, but for many other adults, it still seems like a “nonsense medium.” Perhaps for this reason it is why places like […]
#SDCC ’16 Comics of Tomorrow: Has Technology changed the Comic Book Industry for Better AND Worse?
For the last decade, the status of the comic book industry has been a great concern among both fans and the industry itself. Growing technologies and widening options for digital media are vying for the attentions of consumers. The comic book industry can’t keep relying on their built in fan bases to carry them with […]
Kickstart First Law of Mad Science to Stave Off a Deadly Future
In 2008, Oliver Mertz and Mike Isenberg came up with the idea for First Law of Mad Science, an affecting and strangely portentous story about a man whose innovative retinal implants a la Google Glass end up having major ramifications on the future of the world and the safety of his family. Seven years later, the […]