InsaneJournal

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greenmask (greenmask) wrote in scans_daily,
@ 2009-10-02 14:20:00

An intro to Charlatan's Ball
The first tpb of Charlatan's Ball came out a month or two ago I think, but I'd had it on order since.. well, I'm not sure. But a good long while! It was a blind buy - Andy Suriano's blog shows that he can draw, so I gave his book a chance. Was it worth it? YES. This comic is fun. And Andy's work doesn't so much ape Kirby's as it does use Kirby as it's Darwinian ape ancestor (excuse my incorrect biology here; we're talking art, not science). Reading this book makes me cheerful and perfectly happy to not know where it's going. The ride is the destination, yup yup.

The story's about Chuck Amok, a rubbish stage magician with great trousers, and the adventures he and his hat-rabbit Caesar meet when the extra-dimensional Demon Empty picks him as his unwitting pawn in a huge and bizarre tournament. Enjoy!

We start with a demon in an empty castle

And move on to a less-than-palatable bar/strip-club/magic show. Meet Chuck Amok!

He's not so successful. He's taken out to the alley and thugged about a bit; things don't look so good for his immediate future. And then a portal appears! Bye Chuck!

Upon waking up, Chuck discovers that things are unusual. He is attacked by a large and monstrous monster, and saved by.. his bunny?

There's something major going down on Tracy Island, guys!

Chuck and Caesar (the bunny) travel a bit, hearing vague news of a tournament and soaking up the strange new worlds they've landed in. Like this one:

Let's get a bit meta! This is great. Be not ashamed of ye inspirations, but rather glory in them and go forth!

(Post a new comment)

	crinosg 2009-10-02 01:41 pm UTC (link)
	So this is what its like when Jack Kirby does acid. Don't be ashamed Jack, I understand, I'm hip! (Reply to this) (Thread)

	icon_uk 2009-10-02 03:36 pm UTC (link)
	What acid possibly exists that could do anything to make Kirby MORE trippy? Seriously, the man transcended psychadelic chemistry. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	thandrak 2009-10-02 05:04 pm UTC (link)
	That is what I miss about 60s comics. The early Marvels had some _real_ attempts at actual artistry in them. The collage panels in FF, Kirby's stylization, even the Ant Man's costume was modern art of a type. Course, then again, what can you say about current art, anyhow? (Reply to this) (Parent)

	alphamonkey928 2009-10-02 04:00 pm UTC (link)
	I am always oddly amused by the term "firecrotch." (Reply to this) (Thread)

	halloweenjack 2009-10-02 04:11 pm UTC (link)
	Wasn't that Paris Hilton's nickname for Lindsey Lohan? (Reply to this) (Parent)

	greenmask 2009-10-02 04:21 pm UTC (link)
	Yeah, me too. It sounds so POWERFUL. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	halloweenjack 2009-10-02 04:12 pm UTC (link)
	I'm getting Paul Pope from this as much as Kirby, really. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	greenmask 2009-10-02 04:21 pm UTC (link)
	I'll have to look up Mr Pope, then! (Reply to this) (Parent)

	schmevil 2009-10-02 05:15 pm UTC (link)
	Preview image is on the large size. They can be a max of 300x400. (Reply to this) (Thread)

	greenmask 2009-10-02 05:33 pm UTC (link)
	Fix'd (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	schmevil 2009-10-02 05:38 pm UTC (link)
	Danka. (Reply to this) (Parent)

	psychop_rex 2009-10-03 06:30 am UTC (link)
	So, uh, what exactly is up with his jaw? Is that a beard? Is it some weird, tight-fitting collar? What? (Reply to this) (Thread)

	greenmask 2009-10-03 12:14 pm UTC (link)
	No idea. But growing up thinking Gambit the epitome of foxiness, it never occurred to me to question it! (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	psychop_rex 2009-10-03 08:37 pm UTC (link)
	But the thing Gambit wears is more like a sort of cowl, albeit open at the top and not concealing the face. Arguably, it's worn more to keep his hair out of his eyes than anything else. This thing looks more like some sort of cloth neck-brace that doesn't brace his neck. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	greenmask 2009-10-03 08:40 pm UTC (link)
	Gambit's sticks to his cheeks too though, and basically doesn't make any sense in general. This is a stage costume, so it doesn't HAVE to make any sense! (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	psychop_rex 2009-10-03 09:12 pm UTC (link)
	Yes, but this one sticks to his LOWER LIP! His lower lip is red! Isn't that uncomfortable? (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	greenmask 2009-10-03 09:15 pm UTC (link)
	It's for his ART. :D (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	psychop_rex 2009-10-03 09:20 pm UTC (link)
	And one must SUFFER for one's art! Even if that suffering is POINTLESS! (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	greenmask 2009-10-03 09:21 pm UTC (link)
	ALL art is ..pointless! (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	psychop_rex 2009-10-03 09:55 pm UTC (link)
	According to Oscar Wilde, yes. (Reply to this) (Parent)