Thursday, January 24, 2013

Next Interview..? Next Genesis Comics..!

Next Genesis Comics


Here's an interview with Devon Ryan the man behind Next Genesis Comics. He produces a wide range of genres from Fantasy to Sport.

CBNAH - First, how was the Mini Montreal Comiccon for you?
DR: These mini-cons are usually hit or miss but, I met some Next Genesis followers who follow me on Facebook and a couple who remembered seeing me at Fan-Expo. That was very cool.

CBNAH - Can you please tell us how did Next Genesis Comics start?
DR: I started Next Genesis comics in April 2007, as a website to showcase my work, to get noticed and to promote my self published graphic novel at the time "Enter Dreams: The Awakening" the book bombed but I still had a few free to read webcomics that launched with the site that was doing pretty well, Garg and 3 is Magic. It was prefect, I could be my own publisher online, a web based publisher of both
webcomics and traditional comic books, creating the website you see today. But it was not easy and its still a work in progress. A month after the site launched I introduced Fox Samurai a 6 x 9 manga that has become a flagship title in the NxGcomics stable. I never really wanted to work for the big publishers in the industry, I always liked drawing and creating my own stuff so going into business for myself was my only option. TOTAL freedom over my creations was what I wanted. Thus Next Genesis comics was born.

CBNAH - What's your work schedule like and how you're able to balance various titles at once?

DR: Its crazy! I work on at least two webcomics a month and a print comic every other month. Its a balancing act that just works for me. I like variety because I find working on just one story tends to get boring at times. That is the reason why the comics found on nxgcomics.com are very diverse from each
other. Its a lot of work for one man sometimes but its fun. Having no real deadlines also helps with the creative process as well.

Quit: The MMA


CBNAH - My favorite comic on the site is Quit: The MMA. Can you tell people who haven't read the comic what's it about and why the subject of MMA?

DR: That's awesome! I'm glad to hear you like that comic! Quit came about from two things 1.) the video game Street Fighter and 2.) UFC, obviously. When Street Fighter 4 came out I was saying it would've been cool to see Ryu wearing Tap-out attire and if the game had weigh-ins and bloody faces after fights, the music should have been harder and so on. Street Fighter 4 came out at a time when UFC and MMA was all the craze and I felt the game messed an opportunity to capitalize on the popularity of the sport. "Quit" was going to be what Street Fighter 4 should have been. Grimy, bloody just a bunch of hooligans just wanting to knock each other out! The story of Quit is about the reigning champion Mondo "the beast" looking for stronger competition and his longtime childhood friend Ren Taylor, who had been fighting in Japan for the last ten years, about to make his debut in the EFL (Extreme Fighters League) hoping to make a name for himself by defeat the 18-0 champion. Why MMA? Its violent, fast paced, tough guys, pretty girls how can you not set a story in MMA? Its a fun webcomic, but readers beware this is for MATURE READERS ONLY!

CBNAH - What comic on the site that's flying under the radar that people should really check out?

DR: Fighter No. 1. A comic I created a long time ago and my brother updated and revised and King Caveman, a well drawn, brightly color webcomic that I personally want people to checkout!

Fighter No. 1


CBNAH - Who were your greatest inspirations growing up?

DR: As a child, Walt Disney. As an adult, Stan Lee. For almost all the comic books I ever made, 80s cartoons

CBNAH - What would be your artistic dream project or collaboration to work on?

DR: I would have loved to work on a Transformers comic but I always had a hard time drawing robots It would be a dream of mine if Todd Mcfarlane made the Fox Samurai toy line, that would be freakin' awesome!!

CBNAH - What comics have you been reading lately?

DR: The last comic book I read was the Walking Dead via my Comixology app. The Walking Dead is proof that comics not starring a man in tights can still be successful.

King Caveman


CBNAH - What does the future hold for Next Genesis Comics?

DR: I hope to have other creators, artist, writers be a part of Next Genesis comics and become as big if not bigger than Marvel and DC someday. I have big dreams and plans for Next Genesis Comics, you're just gonna have to wait and see whats in store for 2013 and beyond.

Monday, January 21, 2013

2 Cent Reviews - Everything part 1

Hey everyone and welcome back to Oz' 2 Cent Reviews, where our reviews are short (about 2 SENTences worth..get it?) and get straight to the point.  I took a nice holiday break but I'm really eager to get back in it!  So without further ado, this week is Transfusion 2, Saga 8 and 9, Wolverine and the X-Men 23, New Avengers 1 and 2, X-Factor 250, Nowhere Men 2, Fantastic Four 3, Multiple Warheads 3, Justice League 15, Justice League Dark 15 and Flash 15.  Come back sooner then usual because I still have another half-pile to go!





 Nowhere Men #2: I've dropped this book. There are two parts to this story, one that bores me and the other that I enjoy. The negative is the latter reminds me too much of the movie Prometheus. They even have a David type character. Pass.
 Transfusion #2: Smoky, beautiful art throughout. Story: struggle of the final living forms on Earth, the vampires. Versus the robots. Both their sustenance is blood and the human race is just about extinct. What's a poor bloodsucka to do?
 Multiple Warheads #2: Original as always, accompanied with great art. So much scattered treasure in some panels it had my eyes working. You have to liberate your imagination to truly enjoy all the merits of this book. Brandon Graham filled my 2012 quota for stoners actually making it in the industry.
 Justice League #15: Earlier in the months, this issue was solicited to feature the addition of new members Shazam and The Atom. That got me really excited. So where the fuck are they? Instead, we get part 1 of 5 Atlantis Rising (or whatever) which just felt like a sub plot from Flashpoint. The Atlanteans are attacking again...yawn. Really Geoff Johns? You pulled a switcheroo on us in the solicits to push a Fish-Man story? Weak.

 The Flash #15: When will the exposition stop? Flash did nothing the entire issue but sleep. This book is supposed to be about the fastest man alive but it's moving too slow. I get they are baking a love pie here but fuck man....four months of this monkeying around? Yes I went there. Close to considering another drop here.
 Wolverine & The X-Men #23: I'm really glad this arc is done. I'm ready to be entertained again. Stop wasting Nick Bradshaw's talents on this circusy shit. Circus of Crime, these guys ain't.
 Justice League Dark #15: Where did Amethyst go? I really feel like I missed an ish. ReFocusing: The death of magic starts here. The team travels to a mystically rich dimension and a few of our anti-heroes feel the burn. Tim Hunter is the key to everything and Constantine is the man to turn him but the young mage continues to refuse his birthright. Which is bad timing since, as always, their lives hang in the balance.

 New Avengers #1: Hickman sure does love using the set-up method in his premier issues. If you're not a fan of comics for the written word, then I wouldn't suggest trying New Avengers. Anyway, Black Panther is the focal point here, but it ends with an assembly.
 New Avengers #2: It's more talking heads in issue two but keeping in mind the cast involved, it was pretty fucking awesome. Black Bolt steals the entire issue with two panels.  All goodness and future potential aside, I still noticed a giant lack of Beast. What up with that Hickman?

 Fantastic Four #3: A much better show this month around. Finally, things start happening to the first family. Interesting things. Tentacley things...
 Saga #8: This book always leaves me clamouring for more. The last page mind-fucks always shock your scrotum from the inside. The story is going to be insane once fully collected, especially for new readers. Saga, book of the year hands down.
 Saga #9: The all-Will issue. Also, it's the formation of a new zoo crew and they are pretty much the anti-thesis to our main cast. Hopefully, things can end happy and they can all become a big family. But knowing BKV, there will be blood. Always.

X-Factor #250: So X-Factor is awesome again. I'm still not sure what the intention of BREAKING POINT was since almost everyone that left seems to be back. Not complaining though. This first chapter (to the current arc) starts off thumping. Thumping everywhere.

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

MAMMA, NO...! or YES, PLEASE..! (King of the Nerds)

"Coming in January to TBS
King of the Nerds is primed to become television's ultimate nerd-off. Hosted by Robert Carradine and Curtis Armstrong, the show invites competitors spanning the full nerd spectrum to come together to face challenges that will test their intellect, ingenuity, skills and pop-culture prowess. At the end of the competition, one nerd will stand alone as the ultimate King of the Nerds."

So... what do you guys think. Mamma, No! or Yes, Please! I'm sure most of you are leaning towards No, as am i, but at least there's some nerd representation in the reality ring. You couldn't have had Halle Berry winning an Oscar (whether she deserved it or not) without Butterfly McQueen not "knowin' nothin' about birthin' no babies"...