The Six Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton

I am a huge fan of both Kyle Starks and Chris Schweizer's comics, having read pretty much all of the books they've made (click on their names in the labels, you'll see!). They are friends in real life and frequent collaborators, and in The Six Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton they once again make an enjoyable and well-plotted action/murder mystery. The titular Trigger Keaton is an actor in adventure shows, a horribly behaved Chuck Norris type and grade A jerk, leaving a path of verbal abuse, wounded egos, and broken noses in his wake. He's got a long-term studio contract so that he appears in many different series, only his cantankerous disposition, hard drinking, and penchant for wounding stuntmen means that they are short-lived despite their popularity.

Someone has finally had enough, and they take Trigger out to pasture, but staged it as a suicide. The six actors who played his sidekicks are some of the only people who come to his funeral, and when some of them question his death, they all end up involved in a disjointed and haphazard investigation.  

These unlikely sleuths have a difficult time gelling as a squad, and their bickering is one of the bright spots of this book. The book also features lots of snappy dialogue, several carefully constructed combat scenes, and myriad pop culture references to fictional shows, including ads, movie posters, interviews, and previews. Also, the mystery plots features lots of red herrings to keep the reader guessing. This series is a real labor of love and a joy to read, especially as a child of the 1980s where many of the pop culture references come from. 

Trigger being Trigger.

All of the reviews I have read about it have praised this critically under-rated series. I agree with Sean Kleefeld who wrote, "On top of being a fun set of characters and an interesting concept, the story is told very well." Aussiemoose gushed that "the 6 Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton has everything you could possibly want in a graphic novel." Joe concluded that there is "so much packed into each issue, none of the characters or ideas feel underbaked, it all feels so fleshed out and has made for an incredibly fufilling reading experience that everyone should check out!"

The Six Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton was published by Image Comics, and they offer previews and more info about it here. This book features copious amounts of profanity and violence, so it is suggested for folks who can handle that.

Karate Prom

Karate Prom was written and drawn by Kyle Starks and colored by Chris Schweizer, two of my favorite comics creators who have collaborated before on the series like Rock Candy Mountain, Mars Attacks!, and Six Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton. Their storytelling and artistic chops complement each other very well, and they are expert at conveying action and atmosphere. 

In Karate Prom they are abetted by Liz Trice Schweizer (on color assists) as they spin the tale of Don Jones. He is participating in the All-City Karate Tournament, but he has been training so much that he almost arrives late for his match, where he meets Sam (short for Samantha) Steadman. He is instantly smitten, then she knocks him out with one kick. 

After he comes to, they get snow cones, they get to know each other, and she asks him to prom. What follows is an escalating series of high school dramas involving exes, ninjas, crime cartels, and a battle royale to end battle royales. However, this book is not just a fight-fest, it is also hilariously funny. There are witty banter, fun nicknames, and clever plot twists that subvert stereotypes. Karate Prom is a lot of fun to read, and I hope that it opens up opportunities for more YA-focused work from Starks and Schweizer.

These two creators have a bevy of other graphic novel and comics work available as well, including Starks's Kill Them All, Sexcastle, The Legend of Ricky Thunder, Old Head, and Assassin Nation. Among my favorite works of Schweizer are his series The Crogan Adventures and The Creeps as well as his contributions to the History Comics and Makers Comics graphic novels. Starks speaks about making Karate Prom in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read of this book have been positive. Kirkus Reviews called it "mercurial and cartoonishly violent but enjoyable thanks to its exuberance." Jordan Jennings wrote that it is "a delightful graphic novel that is full of action and romance," featuring "a strong cast of characters that you will come to love by the end of the story." In a starred review, Adam Fisher summed it up as "a joy-filled story about two teens who want to be together so badly, they are willing to fight for it."

Karate Prom was published by First Second, and they offer a preview and more information here. 

Old Head

Halloween is just around the corner, and I thought this graphic novel suited the season beautifully. Old Head was written and drawn by Kyle Starks and colored by Chris Schweizer, two of my favorite comics creators. The story here follows the exploits of Nash "The Knive" Gliven, Jr., a retired professional basketball player known more for his intimidating physical presence than his ability to shoot. 

"The Knife's" origin story

When the book opens, he is taking his teenage daughter Willie to his childhood home, to wrap up loose ends after the death of his mother. Part of closing the book on things is signing over the property to a neighbor who really wants it. The really bad news in this situation is that his mom was a monster hunter and that neighbor is none other than her long-time nemesis Dracula. Once Nash signs over the house, Drac and his motley band of vampire goons can come and go as they please, placing everyone in danger. How matters resolve involves a whole lot of action/suspense, humorous quips, and tons of fighting. This book is a joy to read, but it also packs a decent emotional wallop with lots of observations and remembrances of family and how families work in their unique ways. It's a fun, exciting, and heartfelt book, a tough combo to pull off.

Part of why everything works so well is that Starks and Schwiezer have collaborated multiple times before, on series like Rock Candy Mountain, Mars Attacks!, and the current Six Sidekicks of Trigger Keaton, and they really know how to play to each others' strengths. They are masters of clear storytelling, impactful pacing, and setting emotional tones with lines and color. I have also enjoyed Starks' other works, including Kill Them All, Sexcastle, The Legend of Ricky Thunder, and Assassin Nation. Among my favorite works of Schweizer are his series The Crogan Adventures and The Creeps as well as his contributions to the History Comics and Makers Comics graphic novels.

All of the reviews I have read about it have been positive. Lisa Gullickson called it "an honest examination of regret, grief, fatherhood, and legacy." Micki Waldrop advised, "Get ready to laugh out loud as some of the over the top action." Samantha Puc summed up, "If you enjoy jokey fight books, weird monsters (like, really weird monsters), and women kicking ass, consider grabbing a digital or physical copy of Old Head."

Old Head was published by Image Comics, and they offer a preview and more about it here. The original printing of the book was funded as a Kickstarter project. Because of violence and some profanity, I suggest it for more mature readers.

History Comics

Apparently, the fine folks at First Second have found a lot of success in their Science Comics series and have branched out into other areas. That series has been of overall high quality, and I have high expectations for whatever they publish. Their first other series is Maker Comics, which is sort of a practical extension of the SC series, with titles about fixing cars, baking, and building robots. I reviewed one title here, and I was pretty impressed with it. More recently, they also branched out with a series aimed at social studies topics, History Comics. They have two titles out so far, and I review them below.

The first book I read was The Great Chicago Fire: Rising from the Ashes, which is about the huge 1871 blaze that destroyed a huge section of The Windy City. This book makes the events here very personal, following a couple of siblings Franny and J.P. who live nearby where the fire started and have to traverse the city in order to avoid the flames. They are great point-of-view characters who both narrate historical/geographic information and also put a human face on the goings-on.

This book gets into all sorts of issues, including the prejudice against immigrants and how the legend was created that blamed Mrs. O'Leary (and her cow) as the cause of the fire. Attention is also paid to the urban planning (or lack thereof) at the time and how the city was rebuilt in the aftermath of the fire, with the advent of skyscrapers and other technological innovations. All of these were showcased 22 years later at the 1893 World's Colombian Exposition.

The end of the book is rounded out with some nifty features, like a timeline of events, a list of facts about the Chicago Fire, and a map of relevant historical sites to visit today. I really enjoyed reading this book, and I feel it's a good, highly accessible introduction to the series.

It was written by Kate Hannigan, a former journalist who has written a number of middle grades and picture books, including the multiple award-winning The Detective's Assistant. It was illustrated by Alexandra Gaudins, who also drew The Brain entry of Science Comics as well as a number of digital and webcomics.

All the reviews I have read of this book have been positive. Esther Keller wrote, "The fast-paced read is highlighted with superb artwork that evokes the time period and gives readers the feeling of chaos that ensued in Chicago." Kirkus Reviews concluded, "A fictive plotline adds a strong “you are there” feel to this informative account."

The second book I read was The Roanoke Colony: America's First Mystery, which is about the first attempts of the British to establish a permanent colony in North America. It is narrated by Wanchese and Manteo, two indigenous leaders that the English encountered. They offer a good contrast with their viewpoints, as in reality Wanchese was more weary of the British and their intentions. Both also traveled to England, and Manteo was the first Native American to be baptized into the Church of England. 

This book is more packed with information, and it gives a broad context to the times and geography. It tells of the various indigenous nations that were active in the area, along with their political structures, homes, and tools. It sheds extensive light on the British politics of the day, with particular attention to Queen Elizabeth I (who brushed her teeth with honey-!!!), "debonair hot boy" Sir Walter Raleigh, and pilot/pirate Simon Fernandes. It chronicles conflicts with rival European nations and also pirates. The failure of this colony lie in a great number of factors, including colonial cluelessness, skirmishes with local peoples, lack of supplies, improper training of colonists, needlessly cruel leadership, and privileging capitalist interests over people's general safety. I was impressed by how much nuance and detail is packed into this book with it still being so accessible and engaging.

This book does not have the same features that concluded The Great Chicago Fire, but I also feel that it covers lot more content in terms of historical context and complexity. Instead it ends with possible solutions to the mystery of what happened to this "lost colony" that was left to its own devices for months. These final pages offer a number of possibilities, starting with the evidence that they literally left a note on a tree that they had gone to the island of Croatoan (where Manteo was from) but storms complicated any search efforts. Among these possible endings are that the colonists may have been slaughtered by any number of factions, including natives or the Spanish, abducted by aliens(!), or assimilated into local nations. Reading this book, it is easy to see why this mystery is still so compelling, especially when presented in such a well-researched manner.

The creator behind this book is Chris Schweizer, who also made the volume of Maker Comics I just reviewed. Like I wrote then, he is a comics Renaissance man who has created a few series like the Crogan's Adventures and The Creeps. He has a bent toward historical works and is one of the best artists working right now, IMHO.

I have not found as many reviews of this book online, but the ones I have read have been full of praise. Carin Siegfried wrote that it "was a lot of fun, really informative, and I especially liked how the story was told from the perspectives of the Native Americans." As of this writing, it has a 4.14 (out of 5) star rating at Goodreads.

Both of these volumes of History Comics were published by First Second, and they offer more info about them and future volumes in the series here.

Maker Comics: Fix a Car!

The Science Comics series of graphic novels has been one of my favorites, and certainly one of the easiest ones for me to recommend to STEM teachers. Their publisher, First Second, has recently branched off into another series with a similar bent, Maker Comics, that encourage readers to bake, create comics, make robots, and do other practical tasks. I can see lots of connections with these books and the "special" subject areas, like family and consumer science, art, and in the case of the book I am looking at here, either auto shop or driver's education.

Fix a Car! follows a group of teenagers and their weekly car club, as they learn about how to care for their vehicles. The teens in this book are all very onto cars and constitute a motley but relatable crew. Some of them have driver's licenses; some are into tricking out their rides with fancy details, and others are into restoring older cars. Over the course of this book, under the guidance of their teacher/advisor Ms. Gritt, they learn how to assemble a tool kit, do routine maintenance, and perform roadside actions like fixing a flat tire or jump-starting an engine. 

Like the Science Comics books, this one has lots of details about how the various systems and parts in a car. It tells about how an engine, transmission, and climate system works. It shows how to change windshield wipers, adjust a drive belt, and switch out a burnt-out tail-light. It also shows how to take care of a battery, maintain proper fluid levels, and properly wash the exterior without ruining the paint job. And what is more, it emphasizes auto safety and delivers all of this information in a very engaging way that does not overwhelm while also maintaining a sense of humor.

This balance between informing and engaging was struck by Chris Schweizer, a comics Renaissance man who has created a few series like the Crogan's Adventures and The Creeps. He has a bent toward historical works, including The Roanoke Colony, one of the inaugural books from the new History Comics series, which (spoiler) I'll be reviewing in the near future. He sheds some insight into his work on Fix a Car! in this interview.

I was not able to find many reviews of this book, but the ones I have seen have been very positive. Sharona Ginsberg wrote that it provided "a more accessible way to approach learning a new skill than advanced technical documentation, textbooks, or manuals" and suggested it "for older readers—beginning around high school—especially as teenagers who may have their licenses and even own cars will find the information more helpful and relevant." Tony Dillard called it "A must for anyone who wants to share the experience of working on cars with a special youngster in their life!"

Fix a Car! was published by First Second, and they offer a preview and more information about it here.

Mars Attacks!

What better way to celebrate Independence Day than with some fireworks? I am not the biggest fan of licensed comics series, but I have gone on the record saying I'd buy anything Kyle Starks makes sight unseen. And I am also a big fan of Chris Schweizer's work. Plus I have a fascination for the gruesome trading card series this comic is based on. So I decided to check this series out, and boy I am I glad I did.

The story begins when lifelong loser Spencer Carbutt decides to hit up his father, who is a retired marine living in a retirement village, for some cash. Just then a giant alien invasion happens, and instead of staying to die, the duo hit the road. Along the way, Spencer and the Major meet up with a militia, befriend a dog, hook up with the military, and work out a lot of personal issues. Seeing them resolve their relationship in the midst of the brutal slaughter of humanity makes for an interesting juxtaposition. It also makes for some curious and funny situations.

Like many of Starks's other works, this book is full of action, snappy dialogue, and interesting events. Schweizer's artwork here smacks of Harvey Kurtzman's classic war comics, and it is full of character, energy, and pathos. Both creators really seem to revel in all the action, gore, and aliens zapping things, but they do not sell the book short because they also offer decent characters that are easy to relate to and root for. Mars Attacks! is a fine piece of entertainment, a fun summer blockbuster in comics form.

Two-time Eisner Award nominee Starks and three-time Eisner Award nominee Schweizer are two of my favorite comics creators. They previously collaborated on the series Rock Candy Mountain. I have also enjoyed Stark's other works, including Kill Them All, Sexcastle, and The Legend of Ricky Thunder. He is currently writing the series Assassination Nation. Schweizer is also an accomplished graphic novelist whose series The Crogan Adventures and The Creeps are personal favorites. Starks speaks more about working on the Mars Attacks! series in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have been positive. Steven Martinez wrote that it was "a really fun comic" that "captures the campy feel of the 1996 movie, and it tells a touching story about a father and son facing the end together." Kate Sánchez wrote, "I have fallen in love with this series and the unexpected emotion in it."

Mars Attacks! was published by Dynamite Entertainment, and they offer more info about it here.

Rock Candy Mountain, Volume One: No Exit

First off, if you have been reading my blog for long, you'll know that I am totally in the bag for whatever Kyle Starks creates. I have pledged to multiple Kickstarter campaigns and send him money every month via Patreon (you can, too!). I love his brand of action/intrigue/punching/jokes/pop culture sensibility, and I try to sing his hosannas when given chance. Needless to say, I was excited to see he had an ongoing series in the works. And better yet, I am tickled to tell you that it's great. If you love action/mystery stories set in post-WWII America that feature lots of punching and witty dialogue, not to mention starring people who go by names of their geographic points of origin and/or prominent physical features, Rock Candy Mountain is the book for you.

Mostly, it tells the tale of a couple of hobos in post-WWII America. The first, a failed actor named Pomona Slim, is new to riding the rails and he needs lots of hand-holding. The second is Jackson, a mysterious figure who is great in a fight and has many secrets. Jackson takes up with Slim, and the two meet lots of interesting people along the way, like other hobos, tramps, bums, the King of the Hobos, and The Devil himself. They also end up in some shady spots, including railway lots, underground fight clubs, and prison. In addition, I should note, Jackson is wanted by the US government for having a specific (though unnamed) artifact. All of these ingredients add up to one spicy and delicious stew.

Abetting Starks in this series is Chris Schweizer, himself also an accomplished graphic novelist whose series The Crogan Adventures and The Creeps are some of my favorite comics from the past decade. He does the colors, contributing a muted though effectively nuanced atmosphere to the proceedings, which complements the energetic and emotive artwork to a T. He also has a Patreon page where I contribute every month. Starks talks about his collaborating with Schweizer as well as his work on this series and in general in this interview.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have sung its praises. Samantha Puc stated, "This book completely shocked me with its palpable humor and emotional depth." River Godbee called it "very unique," adding that it featured "a great story with some amazing art." Jeremy Nisen wrote, "Our only complaint is that this first volume only holds four issues' worth of the series, and we want more. Now. Perhaps even more than that mythical lake of stew, and of whiskey too."

Rock Candy Mountain was published by Image Comics, and they offer previews and more here. This book contains the first four issues of the series, and it features a fair amount of swearing and violence, not to mention a couple of adult situations, so it is recommended for readers mature enough to deal with such material (as you'll see in the excerpt below).

 

 

The Creeps Book 3: Curse of the Attack-o-Lanterns

This third book in The Creeps series (I reviewed the first two books here) caps off their adventures. In this volume, our quirky quartet finds themselves up to their eyeballs in trouble again (with the local authorities as well as with a new supernatural menace). They not only have to deal with service detention, they also have to contend with an ages-long curse, a modern day witch, an unlikely romance, and murderous pumpkins with deadly bites.

The curse begins...

Like the other books in the series, this one was delightfully gruesome, with some legitimately horrible and scary moments. Also, it rewarded astute readers of the first two books, using many established character traits and situations from those books to pay off in some very touching, human moments as well as great jokes and dramatic scenes. This book features masterful storytelling as well as some masterful comics making.

This book was also the creation of Chris Schweizer, an impressively talented comics creator who has been nominated for multiple Eisner Awards and is well known for his work on the  Crogan's Adventures. Currently, he is providing the colors for Rock Candy Mountain, an action series about hobos in post-World War II America. He talks extensively about his work on The Creeps books in this interview.

I was unable to locate reviews for this book, which I think is somewhat strange and unfortunate because this book is at least as good and enjoyable as the second book, The Trolls Will Feast. That book had a much more inventive villain, though I feel this book has a more intricate and complex plot. It does have a four star rating on Goodreads, and there seem to be at least of couple of reviews here as well, though they are behind a pay wall.

Curse of the Attack-o-Lanterns was published by Amulet Books, and they have a preview and more here.

I tracked Schweizer down at HeroesCon this past year, and he was a swell guy who was also kind enough to sign and draw a little sketch in my copy:

Thank you!

The Creeps

The Creeps is a series of books about a group of four misfits/monster hunters/detectives who just can't seem to catch a break in their school or town. They live in a community beset by horrible creatures, where people are routinely hounded or eaten by strange beasts, and they are only further ostracized when they try to help. Still, I feel that their bad luck and treatment make for some very compelling stories and relatable characters (who does not love an underdog?).

The quartet is made up of some strong, distinct personalities. Carol is good with computers and technology; Rosario is mightily strong and also into fashion; Mitchell is a monster expert with a vast library, and Jarvis is an inventor who specializes in blowing up his pants. You can see them all do their thing here:

In their first book, Night of the Frankenfrogs, they have to contend with creatures cobbled together from critters stolen from their biology class. Their inquiries lead them into all kinds of interesting, icky places, like sewers and the lair of dethroned and bitter science fair champion. The case goes in many directions, and I have to say that the solution makes sense, but I did not see it coming. I also liked that the characters here are firmly established in their town, making all kinds of references to past cases and beasts they have dealt with. This world is a rich one to tell stories in.

The reviews I have read about this book have been mostly positive. Esther Keller wrote, "This will be a definite hit with middle grade readers." Kirkus Reviews commented that "Schweizer's cleanly paneled art is bright and busy, ever ready with a gag that helps blend the ghastly with the goofy, making his gang’s antics reminiscent of Scooby Doo." Robert Greenberger was cooler on the book, noting, "The dialogue is interesting but his characters feel not fully realized and it could be Schweizer’s working with too large a cast and too big a story for a first offering."

The Trolls Will Feast! is the second The Creeps book, and I hate to say it, but this is the book that actually brought this series to my attention. It is nominated for a 2017 Eisner Award for Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 8), a fact I find a bit puzzling. Not the nomination, as I feel that Chris Schweizer is a very talented and deserving comics creator whose past works (like the Crogan's Adventures) I have loved. But this book feels like it is aimed at an older audience than 8-year-olds. I feel it's more a middle school or young adult-type book. Still, I did not even know these books existed until I saw this nomination, so I am glad for Schweizer and also to have found them.

The second book ramps up the excitement, humor, and intrigue, focusing on the mysterious disappearance of some of the Creeps' classmates (who get eaten by trolls at the very beginning of the book, one of the factors that leads me to think this book series may be more for older elementary or middle school readers). The trolls, it turns out are an ancient race who periodically feast on humans, and their methods for preparing their meals are pretty diabolical.

This book's plot I found more intricate and tightly woven together than in the first book, and I marvel at how many gags, jokes, and details get crammed into every page. I found both highly enjoyable and entertaining, and I am very much looking forward to reading volume three. I also hope to see more books in the series, as I can find no mention of a book 4 as of yet.

The reviews of this second volume were stronger than for the first, with much praise heaped on it. Kirkus Reviews summed it up as "a satisfying and rollicking sophomore offering that improves on the first." Robert Greenberger concluded, "This is a stronger offering and shows greater command of the characters and their setting so the series is taking on a nice shape." Kat Kan wrote that it "will appeal to a wide range of young readers hungry for horror-lite monster stories."

For those interested in his works, Schweizer tweets here and also blogs here and here. He speaks about his work on The Creeps books in this interview and also in this interview.

Both of these The Creeps books were published by Amulet Press, and they have previews and more information about them here and here.

Crogan's Vengeance

There are some comics series that I am embarrassed to say that I have not read, because I just keep hearing about how great they are. Or I keep seeing them displayed at the artist's table at HeroesCon, but don't do pick them up. Chris Schweizer's The Crogan Adventures is one of those. It has been nominated for two Eisner Awards and it chronicles the adventures of various members of the fictional Crogan family tree, an interesting and varied group that includes cowboys, explorers, adventurers, scalawags, legionnaires, and ninja. This first book (out of a proposed 16!) focuses on the clever and resourceful Catfoot Crogan, a sailor turned pirate who lived in the 1700s.

As you can see from the excerpt below, the story is couched in real historical terms. I very much enjoyed seeing the amount of detail that went into depicting what life at sea would have been like at the time. I also appreciated how these details helped later propel the narrative.

 

After the scene and characters are quickly established, the book takes off into high gear. There are rumblings of mutiny, cruel captains, and pirate attacks, not to mention scheming, double-crossings, and sword-fights galore. This was the best kind of adventure tale, full of suspense, drama, and characters I cared about. And even though there are times that Catfoot is worse for wear, reading about how he dealt with his travails was a lot of fun.

As you have probably noticed from the artwork, it is pretty cartoonish. Even so, the attention to backgrounds, the ships, and the period garb are all on point, highlighting the expressive art style. Schweizer's storytelling and layouts are both expert and exceptional.

All of the reviews I have read about this book have been glowing. Don MacPherson wrote that it "stands up well as a self-contained, one-off story." Snow Wildsmith concluded, "Because of the well-crafted plot, strong writing and distinctive art, Schweizer’s series is off to a great start and should prove popular with teen and adult graphic novel fans."  Andrew Wheeler summed up that it was "a somewhat sanitized pirate story, but what popular pirate stories aren’t? It’s full of men swooping down from the crow’s nest, cannons roaring across narrow stretches of water, desperate hand-to-hand fights with pistol and cutlass, and men wearing earrings, bandannas, and strange hats. What’s not to love?"

Crogan's Vengeance was published by Oni Press, and they have more info about it here.