READING BETWEEN THE PANELS

Sheeeit, mothafucka! You got some stank on yo downlow lookin\' for some comic info? You needs ta look no further than the crazy biznitches at tastes like chicken! (Shit, John Cena, I challenge you to a rap-off!)
For all of you not paying attention to Wayne\'s rants for the past few months, I\'m gonna drop some knowledge on some of the sweet-ass comic projects upcoming and available from your friendly neighborhood tastes like chicken staff!
Heaven, LLC, written by our own editor-in-chief, Insane Wayne Chinsang, and illustrated by that \"not quite sane either\" friend of Debbie\'s, Dave Crosland, is out now from Image Comics. This is the story of an aloof Father Almighty gone AWOL. Tired of the rigors of controlling Earth\'s destiny-- or, rather, listening to his board of directors as they control Earth\'s destiny-- God takes an unannounced vacation. Unfortunately, the board finds out, and it’s up to them to find Him. Just exactly who are \"they\"? Why, it\'s an all-star cast consisting of the head of John the Baptist, Lucifer, Jesus, The Holy Spirit, Abraham, the Pope, Joseph, Adam, Eve, and ex-Saint Christopher.
Strikingly original in concept, this book defies all I’d ever thought comics to be. Truly humorous comics are a rare commodity in this day and age, and wading through all of the poseurs can seem to be an insurmountable task. But, I guarantee you, this book will make you laugh out loud. Unless, of course, you take your religion far too seriously. In that case, you’ll be on the phone with the President by page four.
Crosland\'s art is fun, fun, fun. His super-expressive style has an almost neurotic line quality... I said \"neurotic\", not \"erotic\". The character designs are amazing. Each individual has their own kind of vibe going on, completely different from any other character. Artistically, it exemplifies the differences in opinion they have within the story.
I freaking love it. I only wish the damn thing could have been in color. Oh, well. There’s always next time.
Another project coming out later this year from this dynamic duo (they’re gonna kill me for that) is Bad Ideas, also from Image. This book, however, also includes indie artist extraordinaire Jim Mahfood! Think of some of the worst ideas in comics. You know what I’m talking about. (Mine is Rob Liefeld drawing Captain America in the late-Nineties.) Well, here are a few more of them. Chinsang, Crosland, and Mahfood will take you on a nightmarish tour through stories you’d always hoped you’d never see. The stories are hilarious, and the art is amazing, but what else do you expect from these jokers? The coolest thing about the art of these stories is that, at points, Crosland and Mahfood will tag-team (Ohhh... dirty!) stories, jam-style! The first book of Bad Ideas is out now, and you can expect to see the second book in June.
Another book that several of your tastes like chicken brethren have dipped their hands into is A United Front (Volume 2, Issue 3) from Cartoon Militia. This anthology book, originally put together for a convention in California, is now available in comic shops everywhere. The book includes: \"Yam...\" by Corey Barba; \"The Li\'l Depressed Boy\", written by Cartoon Militia publisher S. Steven Struble, and illustrated by Jose Garibaldi (a.k.a. Eggplant Stan Wenches); \"Downstairs\" by Night Watchman, who, for some reason, decided to go under his kinky pen name, \"Erik Rose\"; and, finally, a double-fister from Jim Mahfood, \"Adventures in Comicshop Land\" and \"Stupid Comics Presents: Quik-Witted Comic Strip Funnies\". This book is a great, eclectic collection of stories with that down-home, independent flavor. It’s eleven stories for just three bucks! Go pick it up, cheapass!
Our buddy Jose Garibaldi has a few other things brewing, too. Jose is rockin\'... the, uh... rock \'n\' roll band known as Teen Heaven, which is set for their print debut in their upcoming graphic novel Is This The End Of Teen Heaven? this Fall. Jose himself described it as: \"...a modern day retelling of that old-time favorite, The Muppets Take Manhattan. The band breaks up, and each member goes their separate way.\"
Another project Jose is involved in, along with a slew of other TLC friends, is RagTag 2. This book is an anthology that follows up (obviously) RagTag, published under Johnny Destructo’s Punchthroat Productions for All-Star Industries. Jose is collaborating with writer Kire Carlson on his story. Others involved with RagTag 2 include Jim Mahfood, Scott Morse, and Shane Hillman. You can find more info at Johnny Destructo\'s site, punchthroat.com. I’m looking forward to it.
And, finally, two last little snippets. Art director and Pen & Think editor Night Watchman will be putting out a graphic novel, Downstairs, sometime this Fall. And illustrator Amanda Morley has a short story slated for July\'s Digital Webbing Presents #16. \"Bliss\" is a collaboration between Miss Morley and writer Chad Lambert. I’ve got to tell you, her illustrations on this story are absolutely amazing.
There you go, folks! I hope this proves useful and informative to somebody out there. If you have any interest in any of the books or creators listed herein, most of them have either websites or email addresses listed either on the links page or the staff page, respectively.
Enjoy your comics, everybody!