TCAF - Mini-comics

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As I delve into my recent purchases at the Toronto Comic Arts Festival, I'm going to put up some short reviews for most of the finds (a few of the longer reads will get more attention).  This is the first such batch of mini-reviews.  In this installment, I'll be reviewing a stack of mini-comics and other self-published material.  Sit tight, we're gonna hit a lot of stuff really quick here.

Dogs I Could Live Without by Hannah Fisher

A collection of 16 illustrations of disfunctional or otherwise undesireable dogs. Very cute and funny. 

A Bestiary of Ordinary Americans by Caitlin Cass

A collection various people living in the post-modern, suburban wasteland. I'm not as fond of Cass's sketchy art style, but the humor is still good. Especially Amy.

Ink for Beginners: A Comic Guide to Getting Tattooed by Kate Leth

A short comic discussing a lot of the common questions for those interested in getting a tattoo.  I will probably never have a tattoo, but I love Leth's art, especially her big-eyed characters and colorful tattoo examples.

Stronghold by B9 Kingdom

A collection of fantasy art (all of the stronghold theme), by a number of artists.  The book itself is a limited edition set that was produced for TCAF.  The illustrations are a lot of fun, with a huge variety of interpretation of the theme.

31 Drawings that Have Something to do with Being in Love and Not Being In Love by Eleanor Davis

A collection of illustrations more than a comic (at least in the sense that Scott McCloud would define it), this book features Davis's flowing forms and wordless sense of humor.

Magical Girl March by Becca Hillburn

Exactly what it sounds like.  A collection of character concepts (31 in total) for Magical Girl March.  Fun ideas and drawings.

Cap'n Cat: Former Shark Hunter by Anne and Jerzy Drozd

A nautical tale.  Captain Cat, a shark hunter turned fisherman, runs into some trouble during a fishing expedition.  A cute comic with a great sense of humor.

That wraps up my zine and self-published coverage.  Stay tuned for more from TCAF in the upcoming weeks, followed by coverage of Denver Comic Con.  Game on!

The Gameslave Podcast - Timothy Zahn Interview

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Author Timothy Zahn began his writing career in the 1980’s.  Zahn has written numerous Star Wars novels, including the much beloved Thrawn Trilogy, which helped to relaunch interest the Star Wars series after release of Return of the Jedi.  Zahn continues to write, and recently published Scoundrels, a novel featuring Han Solo that takes place between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back.  I interviewed Zahn at StarFest 2015.

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Jim Arthurs

B.Sc. - Geological Engineering, Ph.D. - Geology, P.E. - Civil Engineering. Retaining Wall Designer. Lover of Nintendo, Graphic Novels, and RPGs. Gardener, Homebrewer, and television viewer.

The Gameslave Podcast - Terry Farrell Interview

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Actress Terry Ferrell began acting and modeling in 1984, and is likely best known for portraying Lt. Cmd. Jadzia Dax in the series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.  Ferrell was a guest at StarFest in April 2015, where Chris interviewed her.

Toronto Comic Arts Festival - Wrap-up

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Crystal and I had a great time at the Toronto Comic Arts Festival, meeting people, talking about art, and buying comics (possibly too much of that last one).  The atmosphere at the festival is great, and comics are really the main player.  Most of the tables are occupied by artists who self-publish or work with a small publisher, and the types of books are myriad.  Here is a list (in no particular order) of all the comics that Crystal and I picked up this weekend.  As I finish reading them, I'll post up reviews in batches.


The Professional Gamer - May 16, 2015

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Hi folks!  I'm just back from the Toronto Comic Arts Festival, but have yet to put together my summary article.  Look for that to be posted in the next few days.  What else have I been doing?  Read on to find out!

Playing: With travel this past week, I didn't spend much time playing video games.  Mostly, I was trying to keep up with an influx of StreetPasses in Toronto.

Reading: Aside from the comics I purchased at TCAF, which I will review later, I finished reading Frankenstein while I was on vacation.  The book is interesting, especially as it contrasts to much of the typically cultural understanding of the story.  The Creature is very different in the original text, especially in his motivations.  If you are a fan of gothic horror, I recommend that you pick up this classic to read it for yourself.

Watching: Once I returned from TCAF, I tuned my local Hulu box to Steven Universe.  At this point, I've watched about 30 episodes, and am nearing the end the what is available on Hulu.  I'm really enjoying the show so far, and kinda embarrassed about how invested I've become in some of the minor characters.  Anyways, I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of the series soon.

That's all I've got for now.  I'll be working over the weekend to get my summary TCAF article posted.  Then, I've got to read and review a huge stack of comics and books to read and review.  I'm excited, but also rather daunted at this proposition.  Wish me luck!

Denver Comic Con 2015 Artist Alley

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dcc booth1 2015
dcc booth2 2015

Hey everyone! We, the Gameslave crew (Jim, Chris, Crystal, Brandon, Cari and Andrew) will be at Denver Comic Con (May 23-25) again this year!

We’ll be in Artist Alley at booth G21, so stop by and say hi! We'll have a lot of cool prints and our plexiglass displays with some new designs. Our plexiglass pieces are also $20 cheaper than last year's prices, so check them out! We also have some new products like coasters, magnets and dice boxes.

Looks like it’ll be an even bigger event this year! You can check out the other tables in the area with this handy interactive map!

The Gameslave Podcast - TCAF Special

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Hi everyone!  Here is a quick dispatch from Toronto with special guest Angi Mauri.

  • TCAF (Toronto Comic Arts Festival)
  • FREE! (not a convention)
  • How show is selected:
    • Prominence
    • A book to release
  • Toronto as Geek Town, StreetPasses for All
  • Examples: Bryan Lee O'Malley, Kate Beaton
  • The Beguilling: Chris Betcher
  • Favorites (comics, creators, moments)

The Professional Gamer - May 8, 2015

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Hi everyone! As I write this post, I'm sitting in a condo in downtown Toronto.  The Toronto Comic Arts festival is due to start tomorrow, and I'm getting really excited about it.  Travel and vacation usually means more time to enjoy life, and that's been true for me as well.  Read on to see what I've been doing.

Watching: This week, Steven Universe (along with a number of other prominent Cartoon Network serials) were release on Hulu in the US.  I have, therefore, spent much of the past week watching through the earlier episodes.  So far, I've watched 19 episodes, of the 35 currently available, and its been a lot of fun.  Steven, the titular character, is a half-gem / half-human.  Gems are a race of sentient crystals that take on human form.  Steven is looked after by a group of three gems named Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl.  The overall arch of the show so far is the story of Steven learning to use his gem powers.  Along the way, he spends a lot of time making friends and simply growing up as a human boy.  In short, the show simply makes me feel good.  I really enjoy the use of music as well as some of the characters goofy expressions.  In short, Steven Universe just feels good to watch.

Reading: During my flight to Toronto I picked up Frankenstein again.  I had somewhat forgotten where I was in the story.  Turns out, I was in the section where the Creature monologues for 3 chapters.  The most striking thing to me is how different the portrayal of the Creature is in the book versus almost all of popular culture.  In the book, he is grotesque, but highly intelligent and very much able to discuss his feelings with the Doctor.  Whereas most popular portrayals of the Creature take after the now classic version by Boris Karloff.

In preparation for TCAF, I visited Little Island Comics and The Beguilling, two of Toronto's notable comic stores.  I purchased Giant Days No. 1, Lumberjanes Issue 5, and Batgirl No. 35.  Then we got lost in Honest Ed's, so I haven't had a chance to read my new finds yet, but I plan to do so soon.

Playing: Since my 3DS wouldn't leave me alone about it, I download the Pokémon Rumble game. It seems to be alright so far, although I am not planning to spend any actual money on the game.  

Tonight, I'll be tagging along with my artist friends to the Sparkler Monthly party.  And then tomorrow, I'll be off to TCAF proper.  Depending on WiFi availability, I'll try to get some tweets and pictures up.  Until next time, Game On!

The Gameslave Podcast - Episode 209

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Hi everyone.  We've all had a busy week with work, travel, and preparing for TCAF.  Crystal and Jim are excited to be heading out to Toronto soon, and Chris is excited to sleep in his own bed again.  Show notes follow the podcast.

  • Avengers: Age of Ultron
  • Steven Universe