This week, I speak with David Berner, the guiding voice behind Broken Voice Comics.

Next week, Ambush Journalism!
(more…)

Well, I asked for volunteers for interviews, and Boy Howdy did I get a Crop O’ Goodness.

Given that I only do one interview a week, I’m going to put a qualifier on my previous statement of “I want to talk to YOU!”. I do, just … not soon. Of course, we at Fleen in general are always glad to hear from anyone involved in the webcomics ‘verse, and we do want to hear what you have to say.

But my schedule for the next few months is now booked. On the subject of schedule, I’m going to take two weeks off around the turn of the year. I’ll publish my last interview of 2006 on the 19th, and then pick up again on January 9th.

Here’s the list of people I’ll be talking to in 2007, in no guaranteed order:

• David C. Simon
• Chad Diez
• Ben Stirling
• Lisa Fary and artist
• Chris Hallbeck
• Fred Grisolm
• Paul “The Prettiest Girl In School” Southworth
• Alice Hunt

That looks like an amazing start to 2007, so I hope you’ll join me in not being able to wait.

This week, I talk to Chris VonGompel, the man behind, in front of, beside, and otherwise fully responsible for the webcomic Hockey Zombie.

Before we dive right in to what promises (and delivers, but not pizza) to be one of my more interesting interviews, I’m going to take a moment to re-extend an invitation to any and all webcomic creators who’d like to be interviewed. I want to talk to YOU.

And now, here’s Chris.

(more…)

This week, I’m speaking with Spike, the creative dynamo behind Templar, Arizona and a couple of other real gems of comics. It’s a fascinating discourse into puppies, ink wells, and a few easy tips on how to be the cover of a Tom Waits album…

(more…)

Hi, this week we’ve got a very special Thanksgiving themed Interview, with the fine folks who bring us ButternutSquash.

(more…)

For Part 2 of my ongoing interview series, I caught up with Danielle Corsetto. Danielle writes, draws and publishes the webcomic Girls With Slingshots, previously reviewed, and is the creator currently behind The New Adventures of Bat Boy for the Weekly World News.

A quick note about my interview series before we get into the intimate details of Danielle’s story. I am aiming to do one interview a week, publishing on Tuesday. Next week, look for a very special Thanksgiving edition.

(more…)

Hey, Kids! It’s interview time again!

D.J Coffman‘s been in the news a lot recently, both for good stuff and bad, and he’s always been a willing victim friend of Fleen’s. So when I decided to get back into this crazy little world, at least on a limited basis doing interviews, he’s the first creator I thought to contact.

Yeah.

That’s right.

I’m back. Doing interviews.

Want me to interview you? Just write in and ask.

Meanwhile, here’s what’s up with D.J.

(more…)

John Allison is no longer. Not only has his strip been replaced by the work of others, but the man himself is gone.

He’s been replaced by Simon Cowell.

He wants YOUR submissions for the newest, greatest thing to come out of England since the last time John left his native land (I’m pretty sure that was SPX last year…).

SCARY GO ROUND IDOL!

So don’t forget to remit by the 31st, cause you could win fabulous prizes.

What does it mean, to “do what you love”? Today, I found out.

It happens that, as part of my undercover assignment, I’m in San Francisco. I’ve been here for a few weeks now in stealth mode. I haven’t talked, thought, smelled, or practically even read webcomics in at least three weeks.

Why? I’m that committed to the job.

Plus, Ferocious J hates me, so all my potential local contacts are in hiding (that man rules this town).

Today, I’m staggering out of some bar and all of a sudden I understand completely what it is to live or die for your work. As I step out the door, I glance up hill and I see a tiny woman pushing a cart that is at least twice her size.

Up Hill.

Up Hill In San Francisco.

And it’s not just any cart. It’s an ART cart. She’s a sidewalk caricaturist going home after what must be a looooonnnnnng day at Fisherman’s Wharf pimping her soul for the tourists.

Why? Because she thinks it’s fun? You’ve got to be kidding me. Because she’s that committed to her job? HELL No.

She is pushing this huge, heavy piece of wooden furniture up some of the steepest and longest hills in the entire Nation so she can PAY THE RENT by making art.

And what are you doing? Sitting around at home after a long “hard” day on the job as a “Systems Administrator” in some fashionably hick town like Nashua New Hampshire, and bitching that you aren’t “using your degree”? Spewing forth idiotic whinging (and I mean that in the Australian sense) on your blog about how some asshole on the Internet doesn’t like your work?

Or are you pushing a cart TWICE your size up the worst hill of your life?

Crowfeathers is a pretty good manga style comic. It’s a bit mythic, it’s a bit western, it’s a bit fun.

Crowfeathers also is rather less PG-13 than it claims to be. There’s a fair dose of violence in most episodes as well as rape, murder and racism.

The artwork is fairly well executed in the manga style, and the writing is pretty decent. The characters ring true and are not too exaggerated. The storyline is fairly standard for the genre – a coming of age story where great events are portented and a young pig boy may grow up to be… well, okay not quite that standard. A young crow boy grows up to be an evil bounty hunter and is punished for it, but presumably will be redeemed by the close of the saga. Likely he will also resolve being abandoned by his father and fall in love.