Punch Issue 7 by Nathen Wahl

GIANT-SIZE GIANT-SIZE PUNCH

AMAZING STORIES PRESENTS

PUNCH

N o .7

COMICS TO GIVE YOU THE CREEPS! ANTHOLOGY EDITION after JACK

ALSO IN THIS GREAT ISSUE

DAVIS

ALINA PETE'S...

WEREGEEK

ZAP GIRL!

CENTERFOLD

and

THE STRANGEST TALE YOUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;LL EVER SEE...

JOE ZOMBIE!

PUNC

VOL.1 No. 27 FALL 2016

Editor-in-Chief Jody Cason Layout Nathen Wahl Welcome to the first Anthology Issue of Punch Magazine! We wanted to introduce you to some great storytellers who live and work in Saskatchewan. Hopefully you’ll be intrigued enough to find the rest of their work. We’re proud to feature Mega-Stars Riley Rossmo and Tom Bagley who contributed to Space Joe; Homegrown Heroes Ronda Pattison and Ryan Howe with YVA Starling; plus some new burgeoning talent we know you’ll be happy to discover. A huge thanks to all the contributors, and to Nathen Wahl who put it all together, made the sexy centrefold and our tribute cover to Jack Davis who passed over this year. Enjoy!

20 26 30 38 48 54

ULITIMATE POWER DUO Art by: Tom Bagley Art by: Riley Rossmo WE CHOOSE OUR FRIENDS ALONE

Story and art by: Elaine M. Will JOE ZOMBIE Story and art by: Nathen Wahl YVA STARLING Story: Brian S. Roe Art: Ryan Howe Colours by: Ronda Pattison SPACEPIG HAMEDEUS Story: Donovan Yaciuk Art: Justin Shauf WEREGEEK Story and art by: Alina Pete

CHRIS STEININGER

SARAH RUGG

STORY LEXI EDMUNDS ART LEAH KEELER

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PUNCH MAGAZINE

LOKI

A reading guide for Midgardians who are woefully unfamiliar with Thor comics “He seems so dashing, and ro- Lady Loki, the matron goddess of mantic!” (Jane Foster, Journey female cosplayers. Into Mystery #85, Loki’s first appearance) Straczynski’s Thor is an excellent starting point. The story is relatively self-contained and its minimal oki: the face that launched use of sci-fi elements make it more a thousand ships. Tom Hid- grounded and accessible than dleston’s silver screen por- your average Thor run. But before trayal of a prince fallen from grace I start talking Straczynski’s Thor, in Thor, a domineering villain in let me tell you about Ragnarok. The Avengers, and ambiguous trickster in Thor: The Dark World Thor (1998) #80-85 has garnered an army of fans. If Ragnarok, the death of the gods. you’re a member of Loki’s army Loki sails through the air in a ship and can’t get enough of the god of made of dead men’s fingernails. mischief onscreen, you’re in luck, His son, the wolf Fenris, has brothere are veritable troves of fanken his bonds and ravages the tastic Loki comics. Anyone who is nine realms at his father’s side. familiar with these comics is nodThor cries tears of blood from ding sagely and thinking of Walter empty sockets. Simonson’s Thor run. You have exquisite taste. However, this artiPretty rock n’ roll, but what cle is for the Loki fans who have does Ragnarok have to do with yet to delve into the comics. It’ll Straczynski’s Thor? The Mighty outline a pilgrimage that tip-toes Thor Disassembled revealed around Marvel events and deals that Ragnarok is a cycle of death solely with cannon stories. We’ll and rebirth, and that the mystestart with Straczynski’s Thor. You rious celestial beings known as could make a beeline for Gillen’s Those Who Sit Above In Shadow Journey Into Mystery, which is an fed off the energies of the Norse equally good starting point (make gods that were harvested at each sure you read the Siege: Loki and Ragnarok. The actions of the gods Siege Volume 4 first for context) were reduced to pageantry, each but that would mean skipping over cycle they played their assigned

loki

role, and each Ragnarok they died only to be replaced by another counterfeit. Thor broke this cycle. The gods were set free, and the gods remained dead. Mjolnir fell to Earth, settling in a crater in Oklahoma.

Thor (2007) Volume 1-3 & Latverian Prometheus “it is for man to decide whether or not gods exist…they live on, in the hearts and souls and minds of mortals” (Donald Blake, Thor #1) Thor is reborn, and places a new Asgard on the earthly plains of Broxton, Oklahoma. Thor learns that the essence of each dead god settled in a human host, a person that shares the traits of the individual Asgardian. Thor seeks these out these hosts, thus restoring the citizens of Asgard. Loki is resurrected in issue 5. Straczynski’s Loki is a woman who insists that Loki’s past crimes were committed in order to bring about Ragnarok, and that having fulfilled her purpose, all she wants is to peacefully coexist with the other Asgardians: “I wish only to live, and to be happy. If you will not grant that, then kill me now, kill me again… and let is both hope that this time it sticks” (Loki, Thor issue 5). Loki becomes king Balder’s royal adviser (look up Balder on the Marvel wiki, he’s a pivotal Asgardian who has yet to feature in the films) as Thor returns to his role as Donald Blake (for the 8 PUNCH

IN THE NEXT ISSUE OF PUNCH

THE CULT OF OIL!

love of mercy don’t subject yourself to Don’s wiki entry. In short: when Odin banished Thor to Earth, he created Donald Blake to be his human host. Donald Blake is a crippled doctor, and Jane Foster is his nurse. Yeah, it’s different from the movies). With Loki’s proposal and Balder’s assent, Asgard is relocated to Latveria. Isn’t that Dr. Doom’s kingdom, you ask? Correct. Two words, one hyphen: supervillain team-up.

Thor (2007) #12 This issue is profoundly significant for Loki, as it reveals that Loki orchestrated the events that led to his own adoption. If you’re thinking “that completely undercuts the role of fate in the story! Whatever happened to the notion that heroes and villains are destined for one another? This is just like when they had the Joker kill Bruce’s parents in Tim Burton’s Batman. That was just the worst.” You’re right, that was just the worst. This retcon, however, is brilliant. Loki, a runty jotun, fought tooth and black lacquered nail to ascend to not ondivinity, but to rule Asgard. That, dear reader, is Loki.

Dark Reign Dark Reign (a Marvel event) takes place between Thor volume 1 & 2. I wouldn’t recommend Dark Reign to new readership, as you need to be familiar with Secret Invasion and Civil War (two other Marvel events) in order to understand the context. Dark Reign is about (The Green

Goblin) Norman Osborn’s cabal, of which Loki is a pivotal member. Dark Reign culminates in the destruction of Asgard at Loki’s behest (during the Siege event).

Siege “We have slipped the noose of Ragnarok. For the first time in history, we are free. Yet we are as we are. Balder is good. Thor is noble. And Loki…is Loki. Despite all my chaos—all my art—we are as trapped as ever. It needs to be burned clean. All of it.” (Loki, Siege: Loki) I said we would tip-toe around Marvel events, not avoid them entirely. You want to read Gillen’s Journey Into Mystery, and in order for you to appreciate Loki’s machinations, you’ll need to read Siege: Loki (which is in the Siege: Thor collection) and Siege Volume 4 at the very least. If you’re familiar with the Marvel multiverse (having read Civil War, Dark Reign, etc.) then you’ll want to read the Siege digital prologue (available through Marvel Unlimited, or by asking me nicely), Siege: The Cabal, the core story (Siege: volume 1-4), and Siege: Thor. Next:

we’ll JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY: FEAR ITSELF loki

Story and Art

KEN DAVIS

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PUNCH MAGAZINE

TOY KING

e are going to talk about.......adult toys. No, no NO! Not THOSE kind of toys ( this is a family publication, after all), but rather higher-end adult collectible toys--action figures--- because that is what I do here.

mainstream offerings, notably in the 30 cm doll arena with the famous Bob Mackie Barbies from Mattel. They’d be a slightly more elaborate Barbie doll figure--a few more make-up paint applications and styled hair esconced in the famous designer’s fashions. They sold for far more than the reguLike the kind produced by Hot lar Barbie figures and starting in Toys, Three A, Sideshow Collect- around the early 1990’s became ibles etc. You’ve probably seen very collectible and sought-after. them, admire them and then run away from them. They are equi- But Mattel was a mainstream comsitely detailed, elaborately themed pany making essentially a highand packaged, accessorized plen- end mainstream product. Around tifully and , by golly expensive as the same time, much smaller “bouall heck. Welcome to the high-end. tique” businesses started offering their take on high-end figures, and Now, for action figures, high-end they aimed at the polar opposite treatment wasn’t always the case. from Barbie.......in other words, G.I. Years ago, there were some Joe. One of them, a small one-man customizer service run by Paul Ivy, going by the business name of Tripwire Toys, was producing sets for G.I.Joe that Hasbro had never thought of.....indeed, at the time Hasbro was not making any 30 cm ( 12”) G.I.Joe figures at all. Ivy was hand-casting resin parts and sewing outfits to turn Joes into US NAVY SEALs and other modern military figures, from Vietnam-era to modern incarnations. Pouches, grenades, helmets and weapons, along with detailed

tiger-stripe camouflage and cover-all uniforms--all new designs based on the real equipment. These were detailed, accurate and eye-catching, and they cost a couple hundred bucks for JUST the outfits and gear alone. You’d have to find a figure yourself to put the stuff on. Tripwire Toys was one of a handful of very small producers making custom items--often to order- for a burgeoning cottage industry. Others joined in, and some copied (and occasionally, improved upon) the work and ideas of those before them. Eventually the interest started hitting a kind of critical mass, and the bigger players: Hasbro, Mattel, etc, started taking notice. 30 cm G.I.Joe figures returned to the market, and initially they were very toy-like. Then in around 1995 Hasbro started upping their game with the Classic Collection figures. Still somewhat toy-like, but at least they tried to take a stab at authenticity and accuracy with the military themes. A year or so later, they really upped their game with an offering through FAO Schwarz, a very detailed and accurate F-15 pilot figure. This item sold for north of $100, as opposed to the usual Classic Collection figures selling for around $20-$25 at the time. It was really the first time that Hasbro had a retailer take an interest in the G.I.Joe brand for a high-end product....and it wasn’t the last. The figure came with many small parts, including an opening compass and noteboard with actual

paper and a pencil. The level of detailing was the paradigm shift here, and it set the tone for years to follow, albeit with other toy makers. See, the difference with this specific figure is that it was not only more authentic than other G.I.Joe toys, it was also more “model kit-like” in its approach, AND it was intended for adults, not kids. A brand-new company took notice of this and got its product to market under the nose of Hasbro. Twenty First Century Toys (21C) produced a line of Vietnam-era outfits and accessories which was kind of odd at the time for a mainstream retail toy line. One being that 21C made NO figures to put them on ( those would come a couple of years later) , and two being that they were actually intended for a competitor’s product: Hasbro’s G.I.Joe. 21C started out basically copying some of the prominent customizers’ works ( and got into a bit of trouble over it), but were able to do one thing Toy King

removeable and had bullets molded on the ends of them. The level of detail was becoming so acute that photographs of the toy figures were being mistaken for real people.

different--that is drop the price point for similar sets from the hundreds down to about $10 or less. The outfits and gear sets soon expanded and became more detailed and functional. Less toy-like and more authentic and detailed were the watch-words here. Stocks would slide on submachine guns, ammo magazines were

Other companies such as Dragon DML, Blue Box Internationa ( BBi) Medicom and others would soon join in with their offerings, upping the detail, AND the price--to about $40-$50 a set. Their product was typically far more accurate; outfits would be very well tailored and the gear made more to scale. Over time, prices would creep up to $75 or higher. But customers would still buy them! Shortly into the 2000’s, the market went fallow. 21C stumbled, and lost it’s footing in the market and eventually disappeared. Hasbro tepidly still offered 12” figures, but maintained a toy-like design philosophy. Many of the customizers had slowed down or folded their businesses, or sequed into other parts of the craft. Hot Toys and Sideshow started their ascendancy, offering even MORE detailed figures than the other guys. Hot Toys started to look at what the interests were with buyers and the “sexy” subject matters became choice. High-speed exotic military units were king--Delta Force, NAVY SEALs, British SAS etc....and now and then they tackled something from a movie or TV show. Terminator, Predator, were ready subject matters not far from what they were already doing. The race, and the gamble, became to find something that the other guys hadn’t done (yet) or to

“Stocks would slide on submachine guns, ammo magazines were removeable and had bullets molded on the ends of them.” out-do them on what they had. Movie subjects became trendy and topical. Sideshow produced numerous figures from all manner of movies: Classic Horror, James Bond, Westerns, Historical all popular enough sellers. Then two things really seem to hit: Star Wars and Superheroes. Hot Toys and Sideshow ruled this roost together, and have produced dozens of different figures in these two film genres. These were premium products, made with premium materials.......and, yes, for a premium price. $200+ per figure is now the norm, and the production numbers are often in under 10,000 units-some being less than 5000. Figures would often feature electronic

effects, like lighting, extra posed hand accessories, some times extra outfits included, and additional themed accessories. The degree of finish on figures was very high-grade---facial features would be delicately painted and toned. And to plus things even more, recent years have seen items like scale vehicles, like Batmobiles and Endor speeder-bikes that sell for $500-$700. That’s the stratosphere for action figures and these are definitely not toys meant for children. Now, 20 years later, we’ve almost come full circle. There’s bigenough players still in the game, and the subject matter is eclectic and as pricey as the early years with custom product. Today you can, once again, find customizers working in all scales, producing hand-crafting unique figures with 3D printed parts, and a whole range of materials. Some produce their own concepts, rather than licensed properties. Technology plays a hand-in-hand role in not only production of the figures, but in features they have. But......the lament remains the price-point. These are expensive, but as long as there is a demand for them, the hobby will continue to see these incredible products made. toy king 13

14 PUNCH

STORY

DOUGLAS RASMUSSEN

ART

CURTIS WITT

STAR TREK 2: THE WRATH OF 7 20¢ SEP cc

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KHAN!

982 was a seminal year in science fiction in part because of the release of Star Trek 2: Wrath of Khan. Star Trek had been a cultural product I was familiar with prior to this film’s release because there was always reruns on saturday afternoons and I vaguely recall seeing Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan, however, cemented my interest by presenting an example of quality science fiction. Far too many movies appropriate the category of science fiction with little regard to etymology. Star Wars, for instance, is often lumped in as a science fiction film. I would counter that Star Wars is more of a space fantasy wrapped in a technological wrapper with wizards, swords, spells, and a vaguely defined mysticism. This is where Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan differs, and in my opinion, surpasses Star Wars in the science fiction genre. Star Trek 2 is an adventure narrative with well

executed action sequences built around the nautical theme, a Moby Dick level obsession (“He tasks me. He tasks me and I shall have him!”), and themes of friendship, sacrifice, death, and aging. With Star Trek the action is not only rooted in naval warfare but also serves the plot and contributes to the overall structure of the film. It’s a battle of wills between Admiral James T. Kirk and Khan Noonien Singh. “It’s a battle of wills between Admiral James T. Kirk and Khan Noonien Singh.” Khan is another one of the strengths of the film. A film can sink or swim depending on how compelling the villain is. Khan is a well-constructed villain intent on vengeance and enforcing brutal levels of control, informing Terell early in the film that his followers are “sworn to live and die by my command”. Khan’s monomania, the darker and more intense tone of the film in general, and Ricardo Montalban’s performance all khan 15

contribute to an effective portrayal that rivals the best of cinema’s bad guys (Hannibal Lector, Norman Bates, rev. Harry Powell, etc). Khan as a villain works well in the narrative structure of Star Trek. Khan isn’t a broadly drawn saturday morning cartoon villain like Skeletor, Cobra Commander or Darth Vader. Khan is the nemesis in a film that’s oriented towards a more mature and adult audience and uses the dynamic between Kirk and Khan as the scaffolding for many of the film’s themes. Khan’s obsession with absolute authoritative control - embodied in

“Khan isn’t a broadly drawn saturday morning cartoon villain like Skeletor” his quest for the Genesis deviceis simply another side of the coin of Starfleet’s mission of exploration. As Bones McCoy says to Kirk and Spock, “According to myth the Earth was created in 6 days. Now, look out”. The hubris of Starfleet, Kirk, as well as Khans’ singular drive for vengeance have direct and negative consequences on the main characters of the film (namely Spock’s martyrdom). Indeed, it is the characters that make Star Trek more engaging to watch as an adult. Star Trek moves at a slower pace than Star Wars, but it is building deeper narrative arcs and complex characters with flaws and vices. The Koboyashi 16 PUNCH

Maru test at the beginning of the movie establishes the fundamental structure for Captain Kirk’s personal story arc of never having faced death and perfectly encapsulates the overall tension between Khan (who faced many deaths, including his wife, because of the harsh conditions of Ceti Alpha V) and Kirk (who would only understand death at the end of the film with the loss of his friend Spock). Khan, subjected to genetic experimentation and trained to be a fighter during the Eugenics Wars, isn’t a clear cut villain. As Spock remarks in the episode Space Seed, “superior ability breeds superior ambition.” Khan was the product of his times, and as Space Seed noted, was a beneficent tyrant, as far as tyrants go. Khan’s motivation stems from his background, being deposed by the citizens that he believed he was serving to the best of his ability, and a vengeance predicated on his belief that it was Captain Kirk who was responsible for the death of his wife Lt. Marla McGivers in the intervening years between Space Seed and Wrath of Khan. It is this deeper approach to characterization that makes Spock’s eventual sacrifice to save the USS Enterprise from danger such an emotionally powerful scene and a risky move as well (at the time Leonard Nimoy had stated he wasn’t returning, so audiences weren’t sure he would return). That scene is one of the best acted and most effective I’ve seen in a film. This is perhaps the biggest gap between Star Wars and Star Trek.

The emotional gravity of Star Trek, particularly Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan, has aged well (even if the set designs and clothing haven’t). There is more heft to this scene and it’s more heartbreaking and emotionally wrenching than Vader’s confession of patronymy to Luke Skywalker. In the end I find Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan a more convincing affair than any of the Star Wars films, and in general it is a better franchise than Star Wars because of how it deals with social commentary. As I age into my mid-40s, nearing the age William Shatner was in this film, the melancholic reflections on aging and mortality resonates even more in my mind. This thematic complexity is also an aspect that sadly, is notably absent from the 2009 reboot of the series, which seem more pre-occupied with action and visual effects. Star Trek at its best exemplifies science fiction as a serious genre for a mature audience. Quite simply I’m too old to be entertained by an extended commercial for selling backpacks, bedsheets, and action figures. Pure spectacle built on visual effects and action set pieces with no internal logic or any socio-political, philosophical, or psychological complexity holds very little appeal to me. And in a day and age when films like Star Wars confuse explosions and action in space for science fiction, that’s becoming a rare commodity. Creature from the Cluff Lake Lagoon DAVE GEARY

Shellshocked Manclam HUW EVANS

khan 17

To the Stars follows the story of a boy named SPACE Joe, an Air Force army brat who has his first experience with zero gravity in high school. COVER: KAREE AnDREWS ART BY: RILEY ROSSMO ART BY: TOM BAGLEY

ULTIMATE POWER DUO PAGE

WWW.ULTIMATEPOWERDUO.COM WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/ULTIMATEPOWERDUO

WE CHOOSE OUR FRIENDS ALONE ELAINE M. WILL’S FAMILY-FRIENDLY HORROR COMIC, “WE CHOOSE OUR FRIENDS ALONE”, NOW AVAILABLE IN THE USA FROM BIRDCAGE BOTTOM BOOKS! BLOG.E2W-ILLUSTRATION.COM

TWITTER,@ELAINEMWILL

PAGE

NATHEN WAHL’S

JOE ZOMBIE Hello to you, Cats and Cadavers. from your ol’ Dirty Deadbeat

“Nathen “Bone Daddy”Wahl!

Oh, Please... hold your applause! YUP! My latest creation, “JOe Zombie” is a ghost story... call it “A Sneeze for Danger!”Dig! WWW.PENCILOFDOOM@BLOGSPOT.CA

RSQUARED IS A RAG-TAG TEAM MADE UP OF COLOURING SENSEI RONDA PATTISON, ARTIST/GUNSLINGER RYAN HOWE, AND WANDERING WARRIOR -MONK BRIAN S. ROE.

YVA STARLING TROUBLESHOOTER WWW.RSQUAREDCOMICS.COM

PAGE

WWW.PATREON.COM/RSQUAREDSTUDIOS

20 space joe

TOM BAGLEY 21

RILEY ROSSMO 23

24 space joe

RILEY ROSSMO 25

26 we choose our friends alone

ELAINE M. WILL 27

28 we choose our frineds alone

ELAINE M. WILL 29

30 joe zombie

30 nathen Wahl

joe zombie

32 joe zombie 32 nathen Wahl

33 joe zombie

34 joe zombie

34 nathen Wahl

35 joe zombie

38 yva stARLING

BRAIN S. ROE, RYAN HOWE, RONDA PATTISON 39

40 YVA STARLING

BRAIN S. ROE, RYAN HOWE, RONDA PATTISON 41

42 YVA STARLING

BRAIN S. ROE, RYAN HOWE, RONDA PATTISON 43

DAVE GEARY

HUW EVANS

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TIME TRAVELLING ROMAN LEGIONS! ZOMBIE PLESIOSAURS FROM THE MOONS OF SATURN! HORDES FROM THE EIGHTH DIMENSION! A SPACE-FARING PIG! WRITER/COLOURIST

DONOVAN YACIUK JUSTIN SHAUF COVER: MIKE KELLEHER ARTIST:

SPACEPIG HAMADEUS SPACEPIG.SELZ.COM SPACEPIGHAMADEUS.COM

MARK ONCE WAS JUST AN ORDINARY GUY WITH AN OFFICE JOB AND A BLONDE GIRLFRIEND. EXCEPT THAT EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE HE HAD A STRANGE URGE TO HANG IN FRONT OF A TABLE-TOP RPG STORE AND STARE AT ITS WARES POINTLESSLY... THEN ONE DAY, AFTER A RUN IN WITH THE LOCAL VAMPIRE COVEN AND THE HUNTERS, HE DISCOVERED A MIND-BLOWINGTRUTH: THERE IS A SECRET SOCIETY OUT THERE, THE MASQUERATDE ...OF GEEKS!

ALINA PETE

WEREGEEK WWW.WEREGEEK.COM

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chris Relitz Deady riffs on the rough edges of Hollywood and proselytizes on pop culture preferences! Enjoy this homage to our favourite mercenary. Writer/Artist: Chris Relitz PAGE

Truth depends on your point of view. â&#x20AC;&#x153;What really happenedâ&#x20AC;? can be altered depending on where you stand. The Man At The Broken Window is the result of a collaboration of two friends who wanted to share a story.

Graeme Williams & Rebecca Reilly PAGE

48 SPACEPIG HAMADEUS

DONOVAN YACIUK, JUSTIN SHAUF 49

50 SPACEPIG HAMADEUS

DONVAN YACIUK, JUSTIN SHAUF 51

52 SPACEPIG HAMADEUS

DONOVAN YACIUK, JUSTIN SHAUF 53

54 WEREGEEK

ALINA PETE 55

56 WEREGEEK

ALINA PETE 57

58 WEREGEEK

ALINA PETE 59

60 DEADY

Chris Relitz 61

62 DEADY

Chris Relitz 63

64 Graeme williams

rebecca Reilly 65

Rob

MacQuarrie

Kenton Doupe

www.gailadamsartschool.com

Lauren Gulka

Emma Tarasoft

Addison Hill

Jaiden Lynn

Jeremy Gibson

lindsay Macnab

lydia Johnson

siobhan

Dingman

aaron

neil Makohon 70 pin-up

Dingman

AMAZINGSTORIESCOMICS.COM 2508 8TH STREET EAST, SASKATOON If you are an artist or writer and would like to contribute to our next issue, please visit our website for more information on formatting your submission. Articles and Art are always welcome at:

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would not be possible without the amazingstoriespunch@gmail.com tremendous support of Amazing Find all the past episodes of Stories. They are the only store in Punch TV on the Shaw TV Saskatchewan to win the coveted Saskatoon YouTube channel or Harry Kremer Award for the Best visit our ShawPunchTV Comic Store in Canada, and are Facebook page or Twitter feed also an Eisner Award nominee for the Best Comic Store in the World.Visit and discover many reasons why Amazing Stories is the best!

PUNCH

ISSUE SEVEN

AMAZING STORIES PRESENTS