ITEM!: the Overlord conquers!
From all reports, the Overlord show was a smashing success. Thanks to all who attended and a great cheer for the cast and crew of The Overlord!
ITEM!: TV Misfits!
I found out about Misfits from Rich Johnston’s Bleeding Cool website. It’s a scary and funny show about five outsiders on community service who get struck by a flash storm and lumbered with special powers.
Unlike their more conventional counterparts, these misfits don’t swap their ankle tags and mobile phones for capes and tights. Instead, they discover what a pain life can be when you’re stuck with a super power you didn’t want.
They also have an on-line comic book adapting the first episode. Check it out and let me know what you think. (Not for kids! Some bad language and mature situations.)
ITEM!: The road to God knows
Besides being a former retailer, Von Allan is also a comics creator, and this is about his first completed graphic novel, called The Road To God Knows.
The Road To God Knows is about a young teenage girl whose mother has schizophrenia. They are a low-income family struggling to cope. There has been a separation or divorce, and her dad’s dad’s around, but maybe not enough to really help.
Children in circumstances like this are lucky if they are old enough to understand what’s going on, and they can learn to adapt, and even thrive.
In The Road To God Knows, Von crafts a story about this coming-of-age point in the life of Marie. He uses a metaphor: Marie learns about a professional wrestling show appearing close by, and, with the help of a friend, they craft a plan to earn money to see the show. As she’s doing so, she comes to a quiet realization that there’s a lot she may have to learn to do on her own. She faces bullying classmates, an unsympathetic teacher, and her mother, whose uncontrollable schizoprenic episodes are sudden, frightening at times, and may derail her plans.
While some incidents in the book are unpleasant to witness, because you grow to care for Marie and her mom, the tone of the book is optimistic as Marie becomes more self-reliant.
It would certainly be easier on her to move in with her dad, but is it that the right choice? Babysitting a parent at that age is tough. If you go out and something happens, you may make yourself feel guilty for the rest of your life. And mental illness deprives you of what a parent should be doing with you: having fun, teaching you skills you will need later in life, and occasionally, saying “no”.
This is not a “disease of the week” graphic novel. This is a slice-of-life work of fiction, but it rings very true. It may never climb up the sales charts, as it’s self-published. This book packs a significant emotional impact, with good art and a meticulous script.
See the trailer and get more info on “The Road to God Knows” at Von’s website.
We’ll have “The Road to God Knows” graphic novel in stock on Nov. 20th in Halifax and on Nov. 23rd in Fredericton.
ITEM!: Archie Loves Robert Frost
Robert Frost was an American poet and the Poet Laureate to the Library of Congress from 1958 to 1959. A popular and often-quoted poet, Frost was honoured frequently during his lifetime, including receiving four Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry. He is arguably the most widely known poet of the 20th Century. His poetry continues to be enjoyed by millions of people … including Archie Andrews!
In ARCHIE #602, Archie is thinking about his life so far; imagines marrying Veronica Lodge and reading his favourite poem, “The Road Less Travelled” by Robert Frost, to their two children.
But in ARCHIE #603, Archie goes down a lane that splits into two paths and takes a less-travelled one, just as Robert Frost described in his poem. By selecting a different route for his walk, the story changes dramatically as Archie sees what his life would be like with Betty Cooper!
Archie’s decision to choose between Betty & Veronica, as well as his love of Robert Frost’s poetry, recently reached the U.S. Library of Congress. The story is being covered at their website.
ITEM!: Escapists contest!
[Steve Rolston sent in this e-mail]
So, the long-awaited softcover collection of THE ESCAPISTS is out!
To celebrate (and to not-so-slyly encourage people to pick up the book), I thought I’d run a little contest. What’s up for grabs, you ask?
An original sketch of Max, Case and Denny from The Escapists!
Here’s how it’s gonna work:
1. Buy a copy of THE ESCAPISTS softcover collection at your local store.
2. Take a photo of yourself holding your freshly-purchased comic with the exterior of the store in the background.
3. Email the photo to steve@steverolston.com or post it as a reply on this livejournal post:http://steverolston.livejournal.com/115838.html
4. On Thursday, Nov 26th, check my livejournal at 5:00pm Pacific Time to see if you’re the randomly-chosen winner!
I may post some or all of the entered photos online, as a way of celebrating both those stores respectable enough to stock our book and those of you smart enough to spend your hard-earned dollars on it.
But, y’know what? I think I’ll also run a SECOND CONTEST!
See, I still have a whack of single issues of The Escapists. So I’m going to run an alternate contest for those of you who would rather buy the floppies from me.
I’m offering you a pack of all six issues (shipping included) for $15 CAD to Canada or $18 USD to the United States.
You can send payment via PayPal to steve@steverolston.com or
Mail an international money order or well-concealed cash to:
Steve Rolston
Box 93570 Nelson Park RPO
Vancouver, BC V6E 4L7
Canada
While supplies last, of course. And let me know if you want your comics signed and/or personalized.
Everyone who buys one of these packs from me will be entered into a separate draw for a different sketch of Max, Case and Denny! The results of this one will also be posted on Nov 26th. You can even enter both contests if you want! (hint: comics make good Christmas presents)
Want a little more info on this comic I’m talking about? Hit up the Escapists page on my website:http://steverolston.com/escapists
ITEM!: new stuff!
nifty web belts – designed by Canadian and European artists and made in Quebec! Just arrived today in Halifax and should be in Fredericton Tuesday afternoon.
