jasonfranks

Recess sure is a good time for philosophy.

http://www.thesixsmiths.com/wordpress/?p=302

The saga continues:

http://www.thesixsmiths.com/wordpress/?p=299

Ever wonder what the vicar's sermon sounds like in a Church of Satan?

http://www.thesixsmiths.com/wordpress/?p=296

 

-- JF

 Cover concept for a GN  called DEUCE I am working on with Nic Hunter.



-- JF

The Sixsmiths family wishes you a happy halloween:

http://www.thesixsmiths.com/wordpress/?p=290


Hail Satan!

-- JF

This week's installment is a little bouncier than usual. Make with clicky:

http://www.thesixsmiths.com/wordpress/?p=287

--JF

KAGEMONO: TOOTH AND CLAW, the biggest and baddest Blackglass book ever, is now available for purchase through the online store. 10 stories at 84 pages by 14 creators from 5 different countries (or 6 if you count me as a Jaapie). 

Purchase multiple copies today!

I'll soon have it available through amazon.com and Melbourne-local comic shops, and I will be selling the book at Armageddon this weekend.

Cheers,

-- JF

 

KAGEMONO: TOOTH AND CLAW is now complete and at the printer. (Yes that is a new cover).Fingers crossed, it should be available for purchase at Armageddon this weekend.
 

And don't forget the book launch on Thursday the 22nd of October 2009 at Loop Bar, Meyers Place, Melbourne 3000, Victoria, Australia.

Be sure to buy multiple copies!
 

-- JF

​

Haven't heard a lot about Bruce Mutard's new graphic novel, THE SILENCE (Allen and Unwin 2009) in the couple of months since it's been out, but it's a terrific book that deserves attention.
 
While on a business trip to procure some artwork, gallery manager Choosy and her artist boyfriend Dmitri discover an amazing new artist. As they search for the mysterious artist's identity they are confronted with the age old questions of art versus commerce and the nature of art itself.
 
If you're looking for exploding monster trucks, this isn't the book for you (see me after class, I have one of those for you). If you're interested in a serious attempt to solve a difficult philosophical question, rendered with staggering aplomb in Mutard's polished, realist style, you need to check it out.
 
What is perhaps most impressive to me is that Mutard is willing to tackle the big philosophical questions ("What is art?") without resorting to action blockbuster theatrics or ceding the argument to a despairing 'it's all too hard.' He operationalizes the problem with a pair of interesting and well-realized characters and uses them to demonstrate his Zappa-esque conclusion in no uncertain terms. But, over and above all of that, Mutard uses comics to frame the problem in a way that no other medium could have.
 
This book actually predates Mutard's prior offering, THE SACRIFICE, although it has changed publishers and undergone a substantial reconfiguration since it was first completed. The illustration looks just about as polished as SACRIFICE, although I don't think the dialogue is as natural in the first half. But that's just a quibble. This is a classy and intellectually rigorous book and I'm looking forward to reading it a second time.
 
It's not available in the direct market, because Allen and Unwin don't play that way, but you can find it in bookstores Australia-wide. It's also available on amazon.com, or you can buy direct from A&U.

-- JF

 Ladies and gents,

We have a bit of a book launch event coming up and you are all invited:

Blackglass Press, Milk Shadow Studios and Guzumo Comics are hosting party to launch their new books: KAGEMONO vol 2., YUCK! #2, THE GARBAGE TRUCK FAILURES, and EVERYTHING ENDS IN TEARS.

If you like comics, words, pictures, horror movies, music,  humour, or just some plain old fashioned drinking then this is the event for you!

Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=147449494267&ref=nf

http://www.blackglasspress.com
http://www.milkshadowstudios.com
http://www.guzumocomics.com

Your hosts: Jason Franks, James Andre & Matt Emery
Date: Thursday, 22 October 2009
Time: 19:30 - 21:30
Location:
Loop Bar
23 Meyers Place
Melbourne, 3000

-- JF

 

This week we've reached a whole new level of wrongness.

http://www.thesixsmiths.com/wordpress/?p=272

-- JF

Today's strip by guest writer Jen Breach: 

http://www.thesixsmiths.com/wordpress/?p=254

The new Blackglass Press KAGEMONO horror anthology is shaping up nicely; should be ready for print next month. The book will be an 84 page trade paperback featuring a cover by Nicholas Hunter and work by 12 indie creators:

"Trauma Ward", 8pp, by Percival Constantine and Carl Yonder "Yum yum, it's the end!", 5pp, by James Andres and Luke Pickett "The Devil's Vintner", 12pp, by Jason Franks and Renan L'Hopsum "Conspicuous Consumption", 6pp, by Justin Jordan and Yuriko Sekine "The Smart Toilet", 6pp, by Dino Caruso and Jeff Womack "Blood and Shadow", 8pp, by Jason Franks and Yuriko Sekine "Seen and Heard", 8pp, by Jason Franks and Carlen Lavigne "Chalx", 10pp, by Jason Franks and Brendan Halyday "Pretty Bird", 10pp, by Jason Franks and Richard Butler "Skin", 10pp, by Jason Franks and Nicholas Hunter

Werewolves, bad medicine, a cubano gangster under a curse, vampires, hoodoo blues, malicious ghosts, a closet that grants wishes, a chocolate apolcaypse, the world's smartest toilet, and necrophilia. Enough blood, cutlery,  viscera, depleted rounds and megalomaniacal laughter to choke a horse with a large and... somewhat unusual... apetite. 

Previews and ordering information to come in the following weeks.

Peace, love and head explosions, baby,

-- JF

This week's episode is called "Debts".

Please click, we need the money!

 http://www.thesixsmiths.com/wordpress/?p=251

-- JF

KAGEMONO #2 was just reviewed at indycomicreview.com.

Four stars from reviewer Alex Haas. 

"It's the believability of these characters and situations that truly offers the scare factor.  These are people you might have met, regardless of the fantastic nature of the setting.  There is something very creepy in their humanity, which is the factor most often dropped in horror writing."

Still available from Blackglass Presss or from a variety of Melbourne comic shops, of course.

-- JF

 New strip is up:

http://www.thesixsmiths.com/wordpress/?p=217

-- JF

Hey all,

This is gonna be pretty barebones, I'm afraid, owing to fatigue and illness.

I went to Supanova over the weekend. Under the monicker of th eMelbourne Indie Scum, I shared a table with Brendan Halyday (left) and Matt Emery (right):


(Photo courtesy of Matt Emery)

The show seemed bigger and better-attended than the Melbourne show, full of cosplay crazies, fanboys, gamers and the usual TV show fandom. Guests included Dave Gibbons, Tim Sale, juggler Richard Hatch, Kiwi Karl Urban, cigar-smoking Dirk Benedict and some generic hot-girl-with-bodyguards from, I think, TWILIGHT. The air was thick  with excitement and the literal stink of every strain of geekdom united for two brief days under a single roof.

Saturday was pretty slow for sales. Matt was the star of our table and he sold buckets of timeless classics ONE DAY I WILL KILL YOU, GAY GAY KILL KILL, SALLYFUCKSHORSES, MANFIGHTERS, and his latest collection, GUZUMO COMICS. I put most of my own effort into moving the SIXSMITHS promotional minicomics.  Of the other stuff, ROBOTS ARE PEOPLE 2.0 proved again to be the most popular, followed by the KAGEMONOs and ONE MORE BULLET. Brendan concentrated on moving the preview for his upcoming GRAPHIC NARRATIVE book.

It was good nice to meet some fo the various and sundry Australian indie creators. Colin Wilson stopped by, and so did Rhys McDonald. I finally got to meet Nic Hunter and he gave me some copies of his new book, YAMBA STRAIGHTS,  to sell. Nic and I had a good, if short chat about movies and our big new project and that was a real highlight.

Saturday night we found ourselves in the Homebush Bay Brewery  under the Novotel, across the road from Supanova, drinking with Rhys McDonald . The discussion ranged across a variety of geek topics, including DR WHO, Y THE LAST MAN, and THE WIRE. Brendan and Rhys got into a deep discussion about inking which went way over my head. Drinking by himself,  not a couple of meters away, was Scott Stapp, lead singer of the band Creed. You can see his funny inbred-looking face next to the guy with the yellow scarf and behind Rhys's head in the photo below. (Rhys is in the white shirt, flexing up). 



Sunday was a better-than-average day for con sales, but not good enough to make up for Saturday's dire performance. I had some good conversations with Tim McEwen (GREENER PASTURES), Chris Sequeira (SHERLOCK HOLMES: DARK DETECTIVE and MARVEL ADVENTURES), Komala Singh, Kylie Utz, Chewie Chan (MARVEL ADVENTURES), HAYDEN FRYER (BILLY DEMON LAYER)  and Jan Scherpenhuizen (TWILIGHT AGE). I also, briefly, got to meet Michael Michalandos (GREENER PASTURES). Apparently Chris Wahl was around, but I didn't see him. Marcelo Baez (DIABLA)  came by the table while I was away and unfortunately I missed him.

Sorry for the less-than-entertaining summary, dear readers. Rhys McDonald's far more entertaining writeup is here, as well as a veritable flickrload of photos:

http://www.the-plastic-age.com/?p=969

-- JF