One of the things that I love most about the internet is that you can make friends with people from just about any region, any country, and pretty soon any planet. I’ve never been one to have the makings for a good pen pal. I have no patience, and most of all, I have no stamps. I don’t wanna write some long convoluted letter then wait six weeks (or longer) for some essential stranger to write me back to tell me how much their life sucks, just like mine.

But with the advent of the internet, I don’t need an envelope nor stamps. I don’t have to write some long-winded opus just to make reading it worthwhile for the person on the other side. I can shoot someone an email to anywhere on this big, blue marble and they can reply back to me within seconds. Now, that is communication, hombres and mujeres.

Well, last weekend I had the privilege to meet two of my favorite internet-webcomic buddies. One was the indomitable Aidan Casserly, and the other was the indefatigable Nik Caesar. It felt like I was meeting Steve Ditko and Jack Kirby! I really have a lotta respect for Aidan‘s and Nik‘s work.

So you know I was overwhelmed when less than a week later, Nik hit me up on Facebook to tag me in a drawing he did of my flagship character, Hank Addanac. Here’s the stupendous artwork below.

Now how cool is that? Thanks a million, Nik! If you get a chance, check out Nik’s Facebook page and also go to his own personal Scary-Art website and check out more of his innovative and eclectic artwork.

Aidan Casserly, Nik Caesar, and I

Significant Comic Strips throughout the Years

Comic strips have been a part of newspapers all over the world for more
than a hundred years. There have been thousands of comic strips printed and
published over the years and, just like any medium that has existed for so
long, many newspaper comics aren’t really that good. It’s not the strips’
fault; it’s the law of averages. If you have thousands of strips to choose
from, chances are that at least half of them will be lifeless, boring,
corny or otherwise just aren’t worth more than a quick glance on a lazy
Sunday morning.

Still, comic strips have been around as long as they have for a reason:
they can be entertaining. Even when nine out of 10 strips on a comics page
are pretty lame, there’s always that one in 10 that really stand above the
rest and grabs readers and forces them to take notice. These comic strips
are smarter, funnier and sometimes more insightful than the other comics
and even the other sections of the newspaper.

Compiling a list of the best comic strips out of the thousands that
have been printed over the years is a tall order indeed. In fact, many
would say that it’s impossible. Not only are there just too many to choose
from, but good and bad is really all subjective. A strip that has one
person rolling on the floor with laughter might confuse or bore another.
Instead of naming the “best” comic strips ever written, let’s instead take
a look at some comic strips that can be considered significant and among
the best even objectively in no particular order.

All of these comic strips were created by very talented artists, but
all good artists have to start somewhere. Many of them got that their start
while attending college for graphic design.

• “Peanuts” – No list of best or most significant comic strips ever written would be complete without Charles Schultz’s classic daily strip, if only because of its longevity. With 17,897 daily
  strips published since it started in the 1950s, “Peanuts” is said to be the longest story ever told by a single human being. Thanks to its instantly likable and relatable characters and uncanny ability to be
  simultaneously cute, clever and melancholy (but not too melancholy), “Peanuts” remains a popular strip years after its creator’s death.



• “Calvin and Hobbes” – Said to be one of the greatest comic strips ever written, “Calvin and Hobbes” managed to be intelligent and poignant while perfectly capturing the mind of an imaginative 6 year-old and his stuffed tiger that seemed to come to life only for him.



• “The Far Side” – It’s hard enough to tell a funny joke in three or four panels, so it stands to reason that most cartoonists would struggle to be funny in just one panel. Gary Larson did this on a regular basis for 15 years. “The Far Side” is still remembered fondly for its absurd, silly, occasionally dark sense of humor.



• “Doonesbury” – Although “Doonesbury” doesn’t get the kind of attention that it once did, there can be no denying the influence that it has had. Often resembling more of an editorial political cartoon than a typical gag-a-day comic strip, “Doonesbury” showed readers that there was room for social and political commentary on the funnies page.



• “Blondie” – Modern readers may not appreciate what “Blondie” originally brought to the comics page. The series has run since 1930, making it probably the longest-running comic strip on this list. It seems quaint and cheerful now, but people forget that with its lovable yet dim-witted father with the beautiful, intelligent and long-suffering wife it paved the way for countless sitcoms and films.
• “B.C.” – People don’t traditionally go to the comics page for religion, but Johnny Hart brought exactly that to the funnies with “B.C.” The religious themes have always been hidden behind what Hart calls “secular humor,” but this strip deserves points for tackling
  religious themes.



• “The Boondocks” – “The Boondocks” was frequently mentioned in the press for tacking the theme of racial inequality in a medium that rarely saw any controversy. This strip was
  often seen as offensive and was dropped by many papers in its relatively short life. It was also consistently the funniest and smartest strip in many newspapers. “The Boondocks” may be gone from the comics page, but it lives on as an animated series on the Adult Swim cable network.



• “Dilbert” – “Dilbert” is such a brilliant skewering of corporate culture and working life in an office that it’s hard to believe that it’s been around for 20 years. Maybe
  “Dilbert” is lost on some people who haven’t spent time in an office or in the corporate world, but those who have ever had to put up with the occasionally absurdities and frustrations of corporate America can have a good laugh.

These are just some of the greatest and most influential comic strips out there. A few of them are no longer in print, but many of them are still read by millions of fans every day, either in print or online. It takes
hard work to create something as well-loved and enduring as these strips, but these artists and writers all had to start somewhere. Fortunately, we live in a day and age where anybody can get started writing and drawing their own work online on writing blogs. Whether you’re a comics fan on the lookout for the next great daily strip or a writer hoping to create your own strip, always enjoy what you do and keep learning.

Source

First Things 2009

I awoke to a constant downpour of rain. I mean Noah’s Ark-style drenching. The R&B singing group Tony! Toni! Toné! had promised me years ago that “It Never Rained In Southern California”, and I believed them up to this point. But they lied. They lied, I tell ya!

I had already purchased my tickets to Wondercon, and I was sitting on the couch afraid that I would have to cancel our plans of attending and eat them. My wife, a former cheerleader, rallied up the troops and convinced me and the kids that we should forge ahead anyway and make that trip to Anaheim. Who knows, maybe the rain was gonna keep everyone else away and we’d have the entire con virtually to ourselves. Heh…yeah, right.

The four of us packed up the car, gassed up, grubbed up, and made our way onto the freeway. The twenty-minute trek to Anaheim only took us about an hour as we battled precipitation that made visibility a joke. I had to practically tailgate a transfer truck just so I could have something to see in front of me.

The rain had ceased by the time we reached Anaheim, so I counted my blessing on that. I didn’t relish the idea of walking around outside lost with no umbrella or flasher-raincoat. All we had to then was just park at the Convention Center.

The line leading into the parking area was immense and just about the length of a frickin’ train. I never received any awards for being a patient guy, so this perturbed me greatly. Plus, countless cars kept flying up on the left hand side in attempts of forcing someone on the right to let them in. I stayed so close to the truck in front of me that he must have thought he was hauling us.

When we finally reached the street where we could turn into the parking facility, guess what? The police had it blocked off with cute lights and pylons and stuff. PARKING FULL: GOOD LUCK, PUNKS. I tried to cry, but screaming came so much easier.

I was in an unknown city (to me, at least anyway) and was now being made to drive further past my destination in hopes of finding a parking space right along with about two thousand other people. Fun times, eh?. After about another hour of crawl-driving and questioning pedestrians, we finally found a place to park the Fordmobile. Then we began our endless journey to the convention area.

I was wondering if Wondercon was going to be anything like last year’s Wizard World which was held in the same location. I really enjoyed that convention. It was relatively quiet, the lines were short, you could move around easily and locate the party you came with without any hassle, and the celebrities were free enough that you could carry on half-hour conversations with them without having to move along for the next shmoe to get an autograph.

The elevator poor opened up and it was like we were in another world. There were people as far as the eye could see. Many of them were dressed as an assortment of comic book, anime, science fiction, and cartoon characters. I was completely floored by the amount of color and creativity that filed the floor. My wife grabbed my hand and we made our way into the fray.

I didn’t know where to go first, the choices were endless. Marvel, DC, Image, and all of the big boys and mid-tier comic companies were well represented with elaborate stations and tables. They pulled out all the stops for this venture. I think I was beginning to get a slight taste of what the San Diego Comic Con was like. And if the SDCC was even bigger and stronger than Wondercon was, I don’t think my senses would be able to even stand it!

The first thing I did was unleash my trusty Kodak Instant Camera and herded the fam over to the official Wondercon red carpet for our “celebrity” photos. Here’s a pic of Traviett and I holding it down. As you can see, I was prepared by representing ADDANAC CITY to the fullest with my custom-made t-shirt and matching hat. I was ready this time, boyeeeee!

Me and Traviett representing ADDNAC CITY gear at Wondercon

While walking around, the first table I stopped by to visit belonged to Dave Kellet (Sheldon) and Kris Straub (Starslip). These guys are two of the most popular webcomic creators around. I was almost nervous to even approach them, but I did want to get my hands on a copy of How To Make Webcomics.

I’ve been in the webcomic game for almost three years, but I wanted to see what some of the authorities recommended doing. The book was only about fourteen bones plus Dave and Kris both autographed and included sketches in my copy. They even allowed me to take a picture with them, so I was a very happy camper.

Me and Dave Kellet of "Sheldon" fame

The next person I got to meet was Danielle Corsetto, the wonderfully talented creator of the hit webcomic Girls With Slingshots. Danielle was very cool and quite down-to-earth. She spoke with me for a few minutes and even asked me about ADDANAC CITY. Before we departed, she drew a couple of sketches for my daughter and I.

Danielle Corsetto, me, CiCi, and Cavaughn

I was pleased as punch when I ran into the guys from the hilarious webcomic series Toonhole. Chris, Ryan, and Mike were gracious enough to give me a sneak-peek of some of their gut-bustingly funny upcoming comics. These guys have a warped sense of humor that is so far unsurpassed. I became envious while reading their new strips, wishing I had thought of ‘em first. I was glad to take a photo with this talented trio.

And here’s another shot with the crew flexing their stuff.

The next duo I was fortunate enough encounter consisted of the world-renowned creator of Scapula, Aidan Casserly, and his table-mate the illustrious Nik Caesar of Scary-Art.Com! It was great running into webcomic friends that you have been corresponding with for years. Face-to-face wins over a DM hands down.

Aidan Casserly, Nik Caesar, and I

I didn’t buy a lotta stuff this year, but what I did get I will treasure forever. I was exhausted after only a few hours of worming thru crowds and trying to keep from ruining people’s photographs as I headed for the only openings around. Here are a few more pics of some cool stuff I ran into. Enjoy!

Batman Beyond, original Batman, and Poison Ivy

Traviett, CJ, Anthony Montgomery, Cici, and uhhh....this dude.

I love me some Wonder Woman

The one and only Dazzler, Alison Blair.

If you’ve never been to a comic book convention, I strongly recommend that you attend one. If you stay focused (meaning not buying every single thing you see. There is a lotta stuff there), have lots of energy, and have a devout passion for the subject matter, then you should have a grand ole’ time. Personally, I can’t wait until I get to go to another one. Maybe i’ll see you there!

It is not very often that I will take the time to go the theater to watch a movie. I’m more inclined to wait for a feature film to be released on DVD first, then watch it in the comfort of my own home, all the while snuggled-up with the remote, a sack of grease-laced chips (potato or corn, makes no difference, and a Winnie-The-Pooh uniform (all shirt, no britches).

I turned my family down when they invited me to watch The Devil Within with them. I said No way, Jose when asked to accompany them to Paranormal Activity 3. I even downright balked when they attempted to trick me into viewing the last Twilight flick.

What it all boils down to is, I don’t watch just anything. To me, my time is extremely valuable. I create a seven-day-a-week, full-color comic strip series. I don’t have much that can be declared as spare time, so if I’m participating in an event, you can bet that it’s gonna be worthy.

This weekend, I discovered a movie that was well-worth my time and expense. This movie is Chronicle.

I’m not gonna spoil the movie for you at all. I just wanna give you the basic nitty-gritty about the flick, tell you what I thought of it, and let you make your own decision whether to go see it or not. Chronicle is written by Max Landis (son of director-supreme John Landis) and is directed by first-time director, Josh Trank.

The basic premise is simple. In fact, it’s so simple, that you wonder why no one has ever thought to do it before. The film is about three unlikely friends who discover this crazy hole-in-the-ground outside of a teen party. When I say that these friends are unlikely, I mean that without these special circumstances, these three guys probably wouldn’t have ever spoken to one another for any reason during their high-school matriculation.

One dude, Stephen (played by Michael B. Jordan of TV’s The Wire and the latest George Lucas film Red Tail), is a really cool black guy. He’s friendly, handsome, letters in sports, and aspires to be president of the country as well as his student class. And the strange part is, I can actually see him accomplishing all that.

Another guy, Matt (played by relative newcomer, Australian actor Alex Russell) is your inbetween dude. He’s not a nerd nor is he super cool. He’s the kinda guy you wouldn’t mind your kid hanging out with. He’s popular enough to get by, yet respectful enough to know where to draw the line when firm decisions need to be made. He’s the basic conscience of this crew.

The final homie who rounds out this trio is uber-loner Andrew (played by rising actor Dane DeHaan). Andrew has it bad, y’all. His dad is a disabled fireman with no prospective employment opportunities. Pops just wants to spend the day drinking hard liquor and crying about his lack of ability to provide, all the while placing the blame for the family’s misfortune soundly on the back of pitiful, lil’ ol’ Andrew as he beats the young boy like a drum with a consistency you can just about set your watch by.

Oh, and did I mention that Andrew‘s moms is dying while all of this is going on? Yeah, loner boy has his share of problems and grief that are totally unrelated to your basic high school dilemmas of “what am I gonna wear to the prom?”.

So, you’ve got these three unlikely friends discovering…something. We don’t know if it’s the remnants of a meteor, or if it’s an actual alien, or if it’s even extraterrestrial in nature at all. We learn right along with the stars of the film. They wake up to a new world, and we’re taken right along for the ride.

When you’ve got cool powers, who needs an explanation? It’s like that extra ten grand that mysteriously finds its way into your bank account. Are you really, really gonna hunt the world over trying to determine where that windfall came from, or are you gonna just enjoy it as it is, a fortunate blessing?

The stars of Chronicle do exactly that. They enjoy their newfound power. And what it makes it interesting is the fact that they all have the same power. It’s none of that Fantastic Four-type stuff where everyone gets a different ability and has to live with themselves and their ghastly, horrible new talents.

And being that they all have the same power makes it more logical that they’re gonna hang out with each other as much as they do. They basically cut the rest of the world off in order to concentrate on their secret. And with any identical “talent”, you know that someone is gonna be way better at it than the others. This makes for a great transformation in plot and story. If three people had the powers of say, Spider-Man at the exact same time, what would happen between them? Who would web-sling better?

And the film was realistic to me because no one’s first thought was to use their ability to fight crime. I know that’s a selfish sentiment, but c’mon, be truthful. If you found out that you could turn invisible, are you really gonna run out and stop a mugger here and there as first on your list of things to do today?

More than likely, you’re gonna have some fun using your power and that’s what the fellas in Chronicle did. They enjoyed themselves until the going got tougher than leather.

I really had a good time watching this movie. It’s the type of film that would make an excellent television show in my opinion. I could have watched this movie for four, heck…five more hours without growing weary of it.

If you’re the sort of movie-goer who enjoys fantasy, science fiction, high-school movies, buddy flicks, or even comeback dramas, then you may wanna take the time and money to go see this film. I’ll probably go watch it again this weekend.

And that’s truly saying a lot for me.

This helps promote the AC Collector's Edition books

CHRISTMASTIME has come upon us once again this year. Are you all prepared? Gotten all your gifts yet? If you’re anything like me, I usually wait til the last minute to go Christmas shopping, and I generally end up getting everyone stuff that they don’t like nor will appreciate and will have tossed in the nearest receptacle before Valentine’s Day!

Well, why don’t you put a smile on some of your favorite folk’s face by bestowing upon them one of life’s greatest gifts: reading material!

Books were always my favorite gifts during the yuletide season. I finally had something that would last my voracious reading appetite for awhile. It’s time for you to pass that feeling on to the bibiliophiles in your life.

And save some money just for ordering!

To date, there are three different ADDANAC CITY DELUXE COLLECTIONS you can choose from:

ADDANAC CITY: Eight Million Stories

This book consists of 80 FULL-COLOR pages which collects some of the most-popular stories in the Addanac City mythos. You can’t go wrong with this “portable version” of webcomics.

I selected the Uncle Jack saga, which features Jack’s introduction, his time on the lam from the law, his re-capture, his time back in jail, his trial, his meeting of Calethia, his second escape from prison, and his traveling whereabouts as Jack stays a half-step ahead of the authorities.

Also included in the collection is Hank’s Zombie City storyline and the full-length Christmas In Addanac City tale. I also threw in AC #200, #300, #400, #500, and all of the holiday super-sized comics. I included the introduction of Ren Murphy and his brief romantic relationship with Christie Anderson.

There are also quite a few of the mini-stories added in for good measure. Oh, and lest I forget, the 1 year Anniversary mega-sized comic is in there too, not to mention a few decent stand-alone gag strips.

—————————-

ADDANAC CITY: HARD TIME: THE LIFE AND LEGEND OF THE BOLL WEEVIL

Have you ever wished you could go back in time? Well, Hank Addanac, the star of ADDANAC CITY, has found just a way to do it.

With the help of his sometime-friend, Esteban Ruiz, Hank embarks on a journey that takes him all throughout the spectrum of time as he attempts to discover his family history in the year 1990.

This deluxe 120-page, FULL COLOR tome collects all of the comic strips that ran from May 2010-September 2010.

Will Hank prevail during his journey, or will the epic war between the town’s super-hero, Boll Weevil, and the resident villain, This Guy lead to the end of everything Hank knows and loves? Find out in this super-powered comic collection which also includes some author insights and loads of extra comics from the popular web series.

If you’re an ADDANAC CITY fan (or just a reader of comics in general), you don’t wanna miss this must-have collection. Order now!

————————–

ADDANAC CITY: COMICS FOR KIDS

This book is a collection of kid-friendly comic strips taken directly from the popular ADDANAC CITY website. These strips were hand-chosen by series creator, George Ford, to be safe and funny for your children.

This collection is 80 pages of FULL-COLOR fun! So, whether you’re young, or just young-at-heart, this book will make a great gift to anyone who loves and appreciates good, clean humor!

—————————

Check out the Preview Box below to read a few sample pages of AC: COMICS FOR KIDS. You can also get previews of some of the other books on the Blurb site while you’re ordering.

Addanac City: Comics For Kids by George Ford | Make Your Own Book

Now, if you’re ready to place your order for some of the funniest comic entertainment around, be sure to use the Promo Code provided below to save 10 whoppin’ dollars! That’s a lotta Doritos, my friend.

*Offer valid through November 30, 2011 (11:59 p.m. local time). Receive USD $10.00 off product totals. Minimum purchase is USD $29.95. This offer is good for one-time use, and cannot be combined with other promotional codes, volume discounts, gift cards, or used for adjustments on previous orders.

AC Fan Art by MC/Curtis and Jen Hernandez

Look at what I got in an email last weekend! MC/Curtis and Jen Hernandez sent me some very cool artwork of Hank Addanac.

I love the way they incorporated eternal fussbudget, Lucy Van Pelt from Peanuts, and resident bully, Nelson, from The Simpsons fame! Hank is truly in some bad company indeed.

MC/Curtis and Jen create the goofy and exciting webcomic series ButterSword. ButterSword embraces the genres of science fiction, fantasy, comedy, drama, thriller, horror, and everything else you can dream about. It’s an amalgamation of pure entertainment.

I’ve been reading BS for a few months now, although the series does have a lengthy and extensive history and archive. I’d advise you to check out the efforts this talented duo offers twice a week!

Click me! Click me!