Doing only as I was told, I played it safe and kept out of the public spotlight for fear of more threats on my life. But now, enough time has passed that no one cares what drama went down around here and The Midnight Cartooner is back online! And what’s on my mind? Glad you asked…
- The end of Larry Merrill’s Toyzville came unexpectedly and abruptly, that’s for sure, but his latest project, The Boids, a collaboration with writer Steve Campbell, is on the launch pad and awaiting the go-ahead countdown. If you’re like me, you love seeing how a project comes together, and so this behind-the-scenes look at the making of The Boids is a must-see and a great way to commemorate Toyzville’s whimsical fun before the official strip goes live.
- Remember The Bean Men? The ultra-violent, biting commentary website-with-a-comic from Sean Tenhoff? You may recall hearing about it from the defunct Webcomic Idol contest and possibly even non-voted to keep the non-comic strip in the non-regulated race. When the contest imploded, many names in contention for the Idol title joined Bomb Shelter Comics, with The Bean Men noticeably missing the party.
- But, as you know if you read my previous interview with Sean, there was no bad blood between the two after the contest went belly up and Sean was quick to update the site with news of his newest venture: a Bean Men animated feature! And over the last couple of months, Sean has been updating regularly with the progress he’s making on the animation front. The shaky, Dr. Katz look is very stylized, if somewhat derivative, but I can’t help but feel that these tests make the finished product of PvP: The Series: Episode 1 look like a comatose turtle on downers. And make note: these are tests, whereas PvP: TS is done and wrapped up.
- Of course, the finished product from Sean could end up leaving behind that life and… well, highly-animated quality that is already in alarming supply. And Scott Kurtz himself has already assured me that the suck was applied in greater quantities for episode 1 to ensure expectations would be low for the eventual turn-around coming somewhere around episode 11 or 12. (Hey! Just like they do in network TV!) But at this early, speculative stage, I’d much rather see what horrific deeds Sean has in store for those wacky Bean Men of his than watch Cole and Brent bounce around like stick puppets.
- Do you read Joe and Monkey? Did you stop because the plots were going nowhere and the jokes were disappearing faster than butt pillows at an AARP convention? Well return thee to where you came from! After taking some time off to reevaluate life and deem his purpose worthy, J&M creator Zach Miller changed up the format and VOILA! Old jokes seem funnier, old characters suddenly seem new, and the strip has a new lease on life! Go! See for yourself!
Don’t forget to throw your loot into the We Love Webcomics 2007 Contest (e-mail Daku at digital.strips@gmail.com) and until next time, keep it Lunchbox!
