RKYV # 20 by Randy Pare

Table of Contents RKYV # 20 {December 2009} RKYV ONLINE LOGO - David Marshall {current} - Roy G. James {original} - R.J. Pare {original online adaptation} Virtual Cover # 20 Featured Artist Review – Marc Olivent - Art by Marc Olivent - By R.J. Pare’ - Layouts by David Marshall

Interior Art - by Carlos Weiser, Josh Bowe, Lee Ann Marie Macdonald, Dragan Petrovic Debesh, Jonathan Biermann, Marc Olivent, Laurie Muldoon-Haughie, Lisa Marie Mueller, Stan Nelson, Nadide Gurcuoglu , Victor Castro, Roger Price, Roger Formidable, Ryan Kelly, Cindy Renfrow

Short Fiction - “The Magic Mushrooms” - By Jim Gibson Poetry - By Anna Gehmacher, Stephen Campbell, CS Cartier

Editorial Column - “At the Outset:” - A Few Thoughts from the Editor - By RJ Pare’

Non-Fiction - “Futurism in the Funnies” - By Roy G. James

Health - Tom’s Therapeutic Tidings - By Tom Rossini

Pop Culture - “Comic Book Review” - By Brad Bellmore - “Raised On Saturday morning Cartoons” - By Pauline Pare

Travel - Winter Travel - By Tom Rossini

Untitled – By Jon Biermann

At The Outset A few thoughts from the Editor – by R.J. Pare’ The New Year’s hangover… that’s what they call it. January is a tired month that starts off with a big celebration and then dwindles into frozen cars [that won’t start] and snow, snow and more snow. Well, not at RKYV ONLINE.

We’ve got a lot of comic book goodness to dive into this month. In addition to our regular “Comic Book Review” by Brad Bellmore, we have Marc Olivent [an indie creator] as our “Featured Artist of the Month!” Tom Rossini provides Health advice again this month with his column “Tom’s Therapeutic Tidings”; while Christina Marchetti begins her new Recipe feature – the “Drunken Dragon Tavern” [Murdoch is a bona fide medieval re-enactment aficionado – she can just as easily serve you a tankard of ale as pick up a sword and swing it!]. Jim Gibson graces our pages with another piece of short fiction, entitled “Magic Mushrooms” and we are happy to announce the return of C.S. Cartier to these pages with an entry [based on his personal experience] in our Poetry section. I would like to invite you all to read on and enjoy the words and images of the fine and talented folks who have contributed this month and if you haven’t contributed in the past – what’s stopping ya?

Untitled – By Josh Bowe

RKYV will gladly accept your art and writing submissions each and every month. Don’t hesitate to share your creations with our community. Let yer hair down and set yer creativity free!

Untitled â&#x20AC;&#x201C; By Laurie Muldoon-Haughie

Health Tom’s Therapeutic Tidings – By Tom Rossini Frostbite – No Joking Matter Every winter 1000’s of people around the world suffer from frostbite: which is the result of skin being exposed to below freezing temperatures for various periods of time. The length of time depends on the body part as well as how cold the air is and if the skin is wet or not. Frostbite is a condition where the skin actually freezes and in some cases can extend beyond the layers of skin and usually follows a condition called Frostnip. Children and the Elderly are most susceptible to Frostbite due to the fact they lose heat more quickly then adults. Frostnip – usually affects the areas of the body that are exposed to the frigid air. Frostnip occurs when these area are red, and either numb or tingly. Treatment – warm the person gradually by bringing them indoors, removing wet clothing, soaking the body parts in warm water – not hot, and do not rub the areas as this could lead to further damage. Frostbite – is an emergent condition that requires immediate medical treatment – Signs of frostbite include a white waxy skin that feels hard and is numb. Treatment – warm them immediately, remove wet clothing, if the areas affect are on the feet carry them do not let them walk, if you’re unable to get them to see medical treatment immediately then warm the parts affected by soaking them in warm water approx 100 degrees Fahrenheit. If water is not available then warm the skin using blankets and offer warm fluids – not hot. Do not use direct heating like a fire place or a heating pad, do not rub the area. As the skin is thawed a painful burning sensation will occur as well as skin blistering and discoloration. Apply a sterile dressing to the site trying not to disturb any blisters. Keep the area from refreezing.

Untitled â&#x20AC;&#x201C; By Dragan Petrovic Debesh

Winter Travel Skiing – By Tom Rossini

I remember a day back in 1987, when I attended the now closed Grenville Christian College for grades 11-13/OAC, leaving for a lovely trip to Big Tupper in New York for some lovely downhill skiing on a Greyhound Coach. It was a weekly school trip and it was an event many looked forward to. One of my roommates – Jeff, decided to go on this trip and talked me into going. Now being from Windsor, my only experience with skiing was at Mt Holly and Mt Brighton which are more like “Baby Bunny Hills” when compared to Big Tupper. I had told him that I had done a little bit of skiing and thought it would be a fun time. After the 2 plus hour ride to the resort, I went to the ski rental place where he helped me pick out some ski’s – I believe they were a generic set but I remember they were 205’ cm… From what I understood at the time the longer they are the faster you go, (I only wish I knew this before I “hit” the slopes). As I prepared myself for a day of fun and jocularity, I did not realize that soon I would be the butt of everyone’s jokes. We started out towards the tow ropes – my friend Jeff thought a nice beginner hill would be a good start. I remember reaching out for the tow rope as everyone looked on and grasped it only to realize I should have had my $120 Gore-Tex gloves on. So as I slowly ascend the “hill” which in my mind looked more like Mt Brighton / Holly, I quickly try to cool that burning sensation on my hands. Upon arriving at the top of the hill which I believe took a good 2 min to achieve, I competently advanced myself to the start of the hill. I decided to brave the task that lied in front of me and started my downward spiral to doom. I snow-plowed the entire length of the hill nearly being knocked on my arse by a bunch of 5 year old professionals. For the next hour or two I repeated this performance with more confidence only falling once. By lunch I was on the intermediate slopes, not bad for a beginner. After lunch which consisted of a sandwich, coffee, desert and a warm up by the fireplace it was time to head back to the slopes. My friend Jeff who is reassuring me and boosting my confidence said lets head on over to some other ski lifts and try a few other slopes. Like a fool I agreed. As we arrived to the top of the hill I looked down and said … “this doesn’t look to bad”, only to hear Jeff say “We have to go up another lift”. I looked to my left and saw another lift. Slowly, I slid over to the line for a “trip” down memory lane. We got to the top only to be in clouds, I could barely see 100 in front of me and realized that we were one of the last ones up the hill as they closed the lift due to visibility factors. The conditions were getting worse by the minute and so I began… a push from my poles and I started. I was doing great making long wide turns only to realize that the path split into 2, one to the left and one to the right. I decided to choose the one less travelled by only to hear my friend Jeff yell “NO… NOT THAT WAY.” By now I was about 100 feet down when I snowplowed to a stop. Jeff soon caught up with me, with a grin from ear to ear. He told me that I just chose the Mogul run and it was a Black Diamond. I had no idea what all this meant but I knew that I was screwed. I lifted up my orange goggles only to see a bunch of small bumps which in reality are pretty good sized bumps. Jeff told me that he would go down a bit first and that I was to stop

when I got to him. He travelled down about 100 feet gliding through each mogul so precisely, so elegantly, so smoothly and then stopped and told me to come on down. I decided to try his way out … BIG MISTAKE… the first 2 of the moguls went just perfectly but then I lost my balance, I lost my control and increased my speed. I just entered Chinese Downhill with the full tuck at speeds over 75 mph or so it seemed. My face turned white and I thought I was gonna wet myself. What seemed like 2 minutes took only 10 seconds. In front me, directly in my path, is Jeff with a look of concern which turned to fear. I approached at what seemed like Mach speeds and literally went over the tips of his skis. I remember the shower of sparks as I crossed over his brand new Rossignol ski’s. I looked up only to see a huge snow bank approaching quickly just before a line of trees. I slammed into the snow bank, and wondered if I was still alive. I opened my eyes and only saw darkness. I realized that I was buried in the snow bank. Hearing laugher, I knew that I was ok and began to laugh as well. I felt a hand on the bottom of my ski jacket and someone pulling my out. I looked like a Bugs Bunny cartoon with my ass in the air, and skis stuck in the snow bank around me. Upon being pulled out successfully, I saw several people around me standing in awe, one of them the headmaster of the school. All were laughing at my expense……. The moral of the story…. Go skiing… the setting makes for a fun and an unforgettable experience.

Winter Refuge – By Lee Ann Marie Macdonald

1. R.J. Pare’: Have you always known that you wanted to be or, rather, were an artist? Marc Olivent: Basically, yes!! I can't ever remember not drawing. And it's always been superheroes and comics-based artwork. I do remember a brief period drawing the General Lee from the Dukes of Hazard jumping between cliff edges, but mostly it was comic art. 2. RJP: Did you study or major in art while in school? Marc: Yes. It was all I wanted to do at school. I remember going down the art block even during breaks. Math, Physics, Geography.... what was all that about? I did love English and creative writing though. I got pretty decent grades in it (which really ought to have been better), but my focus was just totally on my art. I would shoe-horn my penchant for drawing comics in there whenever I could; I just couldn't get excited about drawing crushed cans. My teacher had to reclassify my exam entry to 'graphics' (as opposed to plain old 'art') in order to get me the 'A' because there was so much comics stuff in there. Title: Cover to the Seven Sentinels Artist: Marc Olivent Media: Steadtler pencil, pigment liners and Photoshop Marc: Ok- this one is from the series The Seven Sentinels. It's an ongoing series from Engine Comics. It was just drawn up as a promotional poster but I also used it for the cover to a miniature episode that has appeared in a volume of the UK anthology title 'Unico Comics Collections'. The story is set in a post-alien-invasion Earth and concerns a group of powered humans (and one extinct alien) who are brought together and rise up against the alien brutality that has beset their world for over a hundred years. RJP: If a piece of comic art is to be released in B & W then it needs two important things: pencils drawn with an eye towards the dramatic and inks rendered bold and striking in order to convey the illusion of depth, shadows and lighting. B & W comic art cannot fall back on a colourist or post production effects / tweaks to sell the image and make it “pop”. This scene appears to be an homage to the American Western – sort of “Magnificent Seven” ready to charge into battle.

3. RJP: Who was you biggest influence or source of encouragement, as a child, in pursuing art? Marc: I do have fond memories of my secondary school art teacher. He was very supportive of what I did and tried to encourage me in the direction of comics wherever he could. It helped that he was the only art teacher I had in that period too, for consistency's sake. But he did make me draw those crushed cans an awful lot!! I guess my parents too. Although, bless 'em, they've never really known how to help me, they've always been really supportive, even though my Dad really wanted me to be a sportsman (don't all Dads?). 4. RJP: What is your favorite media to work with? Marc: The humble pencil. That's where everything starts from. It's like everything flows out of the end of it, it's the vessel by which your ideas and imagination are delivered and it's totally uninhibited. It's only limited by your imagination, which really should be no limitation at all. It's totally liberating to get that idea/image/thought in your head out of there and onto your drawing pad and it's the pencil that makes it happen. It's also like the foundations of everything that the image is going to become. It's pliable too. You can make mistakes and explore and if you take a wrong turn, you just head off in another direction. But you need to get it right, or when it comes to the inking you get found out and the image suffers greatly- although, learning about Photoshop has become a lifesaver somewhat. Title: Zone Runners promo Artist: Marc Olivent Media: Steadtler kit & Photoshop Marc: This is a very recent piece, about two weeks old. It depicts the 'Zone Runners' which is a collaboration effort between me and another writer called Chris Atkins. We're going to pitch it around the place and see if we can generate some interest. I'm getting really into doing those funky, abstract backgrounds. RJP: If the style of this promotional piece [which would make a cool poster!] is any indicationâ&#x20AC;Ś this appears to have the making of a project that would translate well to animation and toys / action figures.

Title: Wolfe city background variant Artist: Marc Olivent Media: Steadtler kit & Photoshop Marc: Wolfe is a character from the strip 'Zone Runners'. This is the good guys' nemesis. He is a powerful psycho-kinetic invader from a parallel Earth. His world has been overrun with alien vampires and he wants a piece of our peaceful, vampire-free world. RJP: By variant I am assuming you mean variant cover for an upcoming issue: always a hit or miss marketing strategy in this industry. When used in a fashion that gives the readers a little something extra [as this image does, like an alternative ending on a DVD] then it is a successful and creative piece of art. If however we venture into the realm of 90â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s style ridiculous foil and colour variantsâ&#x20AC;Ś then the fans get cheated. 5. RJP: Do you use any special tools and techniques to create your art? Marc: Honestly? Not really. I use a mechanical pencil, a Steadtler 0.3 mm with 3H lead. I work better with a harder, narrower lead. To ink my pencils I use Steadtler pigment liners, the ink flow is really nice (but I really only use them because I've gotten used to them, like my beer gut, I guess). I've only ever used a brush and ink once and I thought it was horrible. Each to their own... Then I clean everything up and colour using Photoshop CS4 which, compared to my previous software, is a really slick and powerful program that I'm sure makes my work look way better than it really is. You can get rid of little mistakes or things you don't like and that 'undo' button...? Like I said; life saving. So, short answer? Not really. 6. RJP: What inspires you to create art? Marc: It's impossible to single out one thing, but every time I see some new Leinil Francis Yu work it reminds me why my art form is so amazing. Not that I'm inspired by him alone. There are tons of artists that inspire me, but it is mainly a visual thing with me (what does that say about me??). Whenever I see some great artwork, usually comics, it makes me want to work harder to produce something that will hopefully instill the same sensation in someone else. Also though, I just really love the creative process of imagining a character, building their world in your head and getting it on to paper and making it into a format where you can tell a story about it all. All comics, animation, even film inspires me to roll that storytelling snowball down the hill.

Title: War Jacket promo Artist: Marc Olivent Media: Steadtler kit & Photoshop Marc: War Jacket. The taglines say it all really. This was done about a year ago though, another one of those 'one day I'll show this to Image Comicsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; type project. RJP: The lighting and metallic surfaces are rendered quite well. This piece, whether intended for promotional purposes or not, would make for a dynamic cover or poster. 7. RJP: How would you categorize your artistic style? Marc: Yikes. I'm not very good at this sort of thing really. I guess I could say (and I'm squirming already) that my stuff is dynamic, vibrant and fun (I'm gonna read that back in this mag and wince horribly, I know it). It's naturally quite dark, but that's not always right for the project, so I guess you have to decide which elements to change or forget totally to bring it in line with the project's ideals. I like to think I'm dark and edgy though..... but I'm the world's worst at telling others I'm any good. 8. RJP: Would you say that there is a "message" or "unifying theme" in your work? Marc: Er... no! I do comics. But there can be in my writing. And the 'message' or 'unifying theme' can change depending on what I'm writing about. I normally find the best writers have to have something to say in order for the story to come alive, but I'm an artist first and I really just try to accommodate the writer's vision and get on board with and deliver their ideas. If I'm writing though, I can get pretty eaten up with the faults of humanity, although I'm normally a pretty positive guy. 9. RJP: Which famous artists or styles have influenced you? Why? Marc: Leinil Francis Yu. Mike Mignola. Andy Kubert. Kevin Walker. Jock. They all have a pretty dynamic and individual style. There are others (that I'm probably gonna regret not mentioning later) but their stuff, to my eyes, is visually uncompromising. It's like - 'this is how I draw, deal with it' and it's instantly recognisable (sorry, British spelling) as their own. I don't really have the type of brain that appreciates art outside of comics too much, although I did get excited about Magritte's work and I saw a Toulouse Lautrec exhibition once at the Hayward which was astounding. His show posters are merely the tip of the iceberg.

10. RJP: If you could meet any living or dead artist, who would it be? Marc: Cripes. That's tough. Well I've met Mike Mignola from the list above so I guess he's out and I almost met Jock once. I would maybe like to meet one of the older artists who were doing Spider Man and Silver Surfer in the 60's to find out what it was like to be part of that golden era back then when comics were still a relatively new and trailblazing format. Jack Kirby would have been great to meet and just listen to. I bet he could have told me a thing or two about Stan Lee for starters. That would have been amazing. 11. RJP: What is the one question that you would ask him/her? Marc: Ha. I really should read ahead. I'd ask him about Stan Lee's treatment of him as an artist.

Title: War Jacket #1 page 4 Artist: Marc Olivent Media: Steadtler kit & Corel Paint Shop Pro XI Marc: a page from 'War Jacket'. This one is about 2 years old. RJP: Panels 2 & 3 are a nice cinematic effect as our view is a moving close-up around the helmed figure’s face… His eyes [partially visible] are shadowed and menacing. The last two panels on the page demonstrate a strong grasp of how to draw action. These images are intense and fluid; they convey the illusion of motion on the two dimensional page.

12. RJP: What do you think of the term "starving artist"? Marc: I think it's insulting to people who are actually starving. RJP: After years of asking that question in interviews… this is hands down the most blunt, honest, straightforward and accurate response I have received. 

13. RJP: Do you feel more a sense of community with other artists or a sense of competition? Marc: A community definitely. I find the whole fraternity very helpful, supportive and often insightful, but maybe I'll get jaded and bitter in a few years and think otherwise. It's especially prevalent over here in the UK because the comics industry over here is so dire. I think everyone wants to help everyone else because we're all in the same boat. 14. RJP: How do you market yourself? Marc: Well at the moment I get work from bidding on jobs online and I have several profiles on different sites like that. So I put up my best, most interesting and (relatively) diverse work and try not to pigeonhole myself too much. I also try to be as reachable as possible. When you have a purely online relationship with a client it has to be very worrying that your project is in the hands of a complete stranger who only exists somewhere in cyberspace... So I try to assure prospective clients that I'm always easily contactable and attentive to e-mails. I'm quite a good communicator anyway and have a pretty decent grasp of English, so I find that always helps to create a sense of professionalism and trust. It's important to build up a relationship and a have a regular and honest dialogue. Title: Handknit Heroes #1, Cover Artist: Marc Olivent, written by Stephanie Bryant. Media: Steadtler kit & Photoshop Marc: Ok here's the cover to Handknit Heroes. Could this one be on the cover? I kinda promised to Stephanie (the writer and payer of my fees) I'd get the comic some decent exposure if I could do your interview tonight and drop her ad until tomorrow. She's totally cool with it though so don't worry. This was done Dec. 08. RJP: My bad, LOL. I didn’t read this far through your interview answers prior to the layouts on this month’s cover.  I do hope that both you and Stephanie are pleased with the feature exposure, though. As for this cover it is a pretty cool ensemble shot of the cast of what I must say is perhaps one of the most unique “hooks” [excuse the needlecraft pun] I’ve seen in all the years I have followed comics: a series aimed at the knitting community!!

Title: Page 10, Handknit Heroes #1 Artist: Marc Olivent, written by Stephanie Bryant Media: Steadtler kit & Corel Paint Shop Pro XI Marc: This was done around June time last year. This is page 10. One of the main characters; Alex, has just taken a hit. It may be for knitters, but it can get hard-ass!! RJP: A wonderfully paced and laid out comic page. This is why we call it ‘sequential art’ folks. Too many aspiring comic artists think everything is splash pages and pin-ups. The point is to be cinematic and ‘story-board’ – for that is essentially what a comic page is: a ‘story-board’ that draws the reader into the tale in a fashion that prose or art alone cannot do. This page seems, to me, reminiscent of Frank Miller’s “Sin City” or the video game / movie franchise “Max Payne”. 15. RJP: Do you find it difficult to stay motivated / inspired? Marc: I don't, to be honest. I love, and always have loved, comics and to get up in the morning to know that's what I'm going to be doing today, all day, and be paid to do so, really it is a pleasure. I've done jobs I've hated and, although I'm not currently earning as much as I did in some of them, I love what I'm doing. So getting motivated and excited about it just comes really naturally and easily. 16. RJP: Do you create your art full time or part time? Marc: At the moment; full. 17. RJP: What other interests do you have, besides art? Marc: You mean, I'm allowed to have other interests? Sorry, yeah - I like to write music and I do write novel-style stories too. Also, and I hope I don't plummet in anyone's estimation here, but I love getting on the PS3 and turning my eyeballs into shriveled up, raisin-like marbles by playing ‘til the early hours. I also love films, either on DVD or cinema. Oh, and I love beer too.

Title: Page 15, Handknit Heroes #1 Artist: Marc Olivent, written by Stephanie Bryant Media: Steadtler kit & Photoshop Marc: This was one of the first pages from the series I did in Photoshop CS4 and I think you can tell the difference! I drew it around September time and got it into Photoshop around October time. This is page 15 and it shows a tender moment between mother (Jen) and son (Alex). RJP: I think you captured the Mother-Son dynamic quite well. The scene plays out in a realistic fashionâ&#x20AC;Ś parent and teen having difficulty finding the tools to truly communicate with each other. For fans out there of writer / creator Josh Whedon you will recall similar scenes played out between Buffy and her Mom [in the TV series â&#x20AC;&#x153;Buffy the Vampire Slayer]. This scene carries with it that same sense of drama and the lies that we tell ourselves are necessary. 18.What advice would you have for a young artist starting out today? Keep at it. Work hard to make yourself a better artist. Listen to (and properly ingest) criticism, especially if it comes from an industry specialist. Experiment and don't be afraid to consider something new, even if it's something you never thought you'd try. Don't be afraid to copy and incorporate (just don't publish anything copied directly, or you're likely to end up on the naughty list). But most of all; keep at it.

19. RJP: Do you have any big plans, shows or releases coming up in 2009? Marc: Well this year has seen the release of issue 1 of “Handknit Heroes” (which is as odd as it sounds) and there'll also be issues 2 through 4 by the end of it. So that's pretty much most of this year sorted for work. It's basically a comic about a group of teenage super heroes (so far, so comics) who knit!! It's basically a comic book targeted at knitters! I know, I know. Sounds bizarre, but if you were at that trade show in San Diego where we launched it and saw the amazing reaction we got from the needlecraft community (which, I discovered, is huge and flush with cash), you'd soon fall into line. Orders for it are going through the roof so I just hope we can maintain the interest. Title: Page 20, Handknit Heroes #1 Artist: Marc Olivent, written by Stephanie Bryant Media: Steadtler kit & Photoshop Marc: Here's page 20 I did it about October time. I sent you this one because (and do try to keep a straight face) the main character; Ana is wearing the bonnet/scarf that you get the pattern for in the back of the comic so you can actually knit it yourself!!!! I bet you've never come across that in a comic before huh? RJP: I must admit, the notion of getting free knitting patterns in my comics had never occurred to me, before this. From an artistic point of view, you really manage to tell an engaging story. Beyond your lines your skills doing layouts are evident with each and every page. I do hope this book is available in Canada! BTW, the colours are intriguing as well. This scene has a quite deliberately [I think] grey tone to it except for two things: 1. The heroine’s blue tee-shirt in order to draw the reader’s eye to her. 2. The bright knitted scarf / bonnet she wears [which helps further this series “hook’ with its target audience. Marc: Here is a brief synopsis of the projects I am currently working on. Zone Runners - they're a bunch of orphaned kids, sponsored by the British government to round up 'slip thrus'. 'Slip-thrus' are people who have managed to cross the barrier between our world and their own parallel Earth. This parallel Earth has been overrun by a species of parasitic, vampiric aliens and the whole planet has gone to hell. It is the Runners' job to see they are rounded up for repatriation. Thing is, slipping through has been going on for years and there are those amongst them who's sole intention is to make our world suffer the same fate as theirs.

War Jacket - born in a storm and appearing out of nowhere, 17 year old Amick wears the War Jacket and brings justice to the land of Polaria. He is the only human on an alien world and is assumed to be the saviour spoken of in an ancient Polarian prophecy. Handknit Heroes - twins Ana and Alex have special abilities, but when they're around each other; they don't work. Although they don't know it, their knitting Mom and deceased father were prolific super heroes in their day. Also and moreover, not only are the twins super heroes, but they knit too!! And Mom has been working on a yarn, a project her late husband started, that can take bullets and fire without a mark to show for it!! You can subscribe to this comic at www.comicknits.com 20.How would you like your art, and by extension yourself, to be remembered? I suppose I'd just like to have given someone a modicum of pleasure. For someone to say, I enjoyed Captain America most when Marc Olivent was doing it. Ha! That'd be amazing, but really, my only ambition is to one day draw for one of the big publishing houses on a big title and put my stamp on it. Beyond that, I'd love to be remembered for introducing a hugely successful character / series to the comics’ world. Like, you say Bob Kane and Batman. Mike Mignola and Hellboy. Todd McFarlane... oh, you get the idea. Title: Page 13, Handknit Heroes #1 Artist: Marc Olivent, written by Stephanie Bryant Media: Steadtler kit & Corel Paint Shop Pro XI Marc: I did this one again around June time, page 13… [I think it’s] a good page. I'm reasonably happy with how it turned it out. RJP: Is this the ‘top-secret’ & bullet proof yarn referred to? We’ll need to read “Handknit Heroes” to find out! I like the way these floating panels ‘pop’ when set against the generous us of white space. On behalf of RKYV I would like to thank Marc Olivent for sharing and discussing his art and current projects with us. For more on Marc Olivent, feel free to visit: http://www.enginecomics.co.uk/engineers/molivent/molivent1.htm

Robin Williams – By Jon Biermann

Short Fiction THE MAGIC MUSHROOMS By Jim Gibson

SEAN NEVER KNEW what to expect on a limousine run and didn’t worry about it. All he did - and it was the best he could do - was stay in the moment and be conscious and aware of his surroundings. But even if he’d tried, nothing could have prepared him for Kenny. Let’s start from the beginning. It was a warm late summer day and he was running errands. He’d decided to call home after searching without success in several different stores for a certain type of cleaning product that his wife Jenny had seen on television. His only choice, since he’d forgotten his cell was to find a payphone, a major feat in this wireless age, especially in the east end, the more affluent side of town. “Where are you calling from?” asked Jenny when she realized who it was. “A payphone,” he replied. “I forgot my cell. It’s the only way I could contact you.” “What’s up?” He was about to explain why he was calling when she interrupted with: “Bye the way, before I forget, Kay just called. You’ve got a run.” “When…” he asked? “At two o’clock.” “Two o’clock? To where...?” “London.” “London… Who...?” “Some guy is picking up his girlfriend and bringing her back to his place. Kay was laughing, so I don’t know much more.” Kay Fischer was the elderly but robust owner of Image limousines. “Kay was laughing?” he asked, curious about what he was getting himself in to. “Yeah... I guess this guy is a bit crazy.” “Crazy…?” “Yeah... You’ll have to get the details from Kay. For now, just get home and I’ll have the soup ready.” “Yeah, okay. Got to go... I couldn’t find that cleaner. You okay?” “I’m fine. See ya later.” “Yeah, okay. Bye.”

On the way home, Sean stopped in at the limo shop to check on the status of the London run and was met at the car by Sharky, his tail wagging. “Hey Sharky, how are ya boy?” he asked stopping to pet Kay’s constant companion; most people feared Sharky - he was protective and would bite a stranger out of fear- but once he knew you he loved to be stroked. When Sean was finished with Sharky, he sauntered inside to find the ever-combative Kay. “Mr. Coldwell, how are you?” she asked, a huge smile on her broad face, her devilish blue eyes eyeing him closely; she was sitting at the desk watching her worker, Archie wash the black limo. “I’m fine,” Sean replied while trying to pick up any body-language clues regarding the London run. “So... what’s happening?” he asked. “I don’t know. Why do I get all the weirdoes?” she responded. Sean tried to quickly size up the situation in order to respond appropriately. But all he could say was, “What…?” “Wait till you see him!” “So, the run’s still on?” “I don’t know. He tried to pay with his credit cards but they were declined.” “Oh yeah...?” “Yeah, and that set him off. He says” ‘Fuck the cards! Fuck the banks! I’ll just pay cash’. Then he leaves saying he’ll be back.” “Back when?” “Don’t know.” “Then, you’ll call me if it’s really a go?” “I guess. You’ll be home?” “I guess. For a while...” SEVERAL HOURS LATER while Sean was watching baseball on television- Jenny had gone biking with her neighbour- he happened to glance at the kitchen clock just as the phone rang. “Kay!” he exclaimed, recognizing the caller from the call display. “He’s back,” she replied briskly. “With money…?” he asked.

“Oh yeah... a money bag full... and still going to London.” “Well, okay. And why exactly are we going to London?” “To bring back his girlfriend to live with him... Two hours up and two hours back.” “Fine... Then I’ll get dressed and be right over.” Sean hung up. Then he dressed in his ‘blacks’, wrote a note to Jenny, and took his dog Crash outside for a quick walk. A cluster of leaves had fallen from a squirrel's nest and was skittering across the road, propelled by a brisk breeze. Crash was momentarily distracted by the noise- he tended to chase anything that moved, particularly if it made a noise- but he finally did his thing on the neighbor's tree before Sean took him back inside, put him in his pen and drove over to the shop. When he walked through the service door Kenny was standing patiently beside Kay just inside the door, waiting for him. One couldn’t miss Kenny; it was August but he was wearing a heavy, oversized, grey tweed suit. “Is this my man?” Kenny asked Kay as Sean approached. “Hey man, I’m your guy,” Sean responded enthusiastically before Kay could reply. “Yeah, you're his man, but he's already taking advantage of me,” interjected Kay, pointing to an electric scooter plugged into an outlet by the side door. “He’s using my electricity.” Kay didn’t pull any punches. “Which car...?” Sean asked Kay, anxious to get rolling as quickly as possible. “Number nine,” she responded. “It’s filled up. If you need gas later on use Kenny’s cash: he’s paid up for four hours at fifty an hour. The run sheet and a phone are already inside the car.” “Well then Kenny, we’re all set. Let’s boogie,” he instructed, walking to the rear passenger door and opening it. When Kenny was settled in, Sean took his position in the driver’s seat, started up the car, turned on the back power, headed out the door, and turned south on Industrial Road. At first Kenny was quiet but midway up Industrial that abruptly changed. “I’m a singer. I rock!” he exclaimed. “What type of music do you like?” Sean asked, trying to be in the moment. “Hey man. Rock...!” “Like rock bands? Like Chicago?” “Like Chicago,” Kenny replied in a loud, raspy, rock singer’s voice before spontaneously starting into the lyrics of Sean’s favorite Chicago tune, ‘Look Away’, written by Diane Warren.

At the chorus, the volume of Kenny’s voice rose several decibels with the words, ‘If you see me walking by, and the tears are in my eyes, look away, baby look away’, and lowered on the verses as, from memory, he sang every verse. “You’ve got a good voice, Kenny,” Sean opined. “Yeah man! I told you, I rock!” “So, do you know any CCR songs?” Sean was trying to sound knowledgeable but, beyond Chicago, he was not a rock-bands fan; he didn’t buy rock albums or know many songs (well, that wasn’t exactly true because he had owned an eight-tract album of the Moody Blues but didn’t remember any of their songs). “Oh yeah... let me think.” Moments later, Kenny began singing ‘Proud Mary’ (every verse of it). When he finished Sean asked: “Any more CCR tunes I might know?” Instantly, Kenny swung into ‘Have You Ever Seen the Rain’. When he finished- every verse- Sean asked, “CCR sang that?” “Yep...! Man I’m rocking now!” Then he sang songs from other groups, and when he finished, Sean asked questions like, “Who sang that? What’s that song called?” This went on for most of the trip to the highway and well on toward London. Then the singing inexplicably stopped as Kenny began to rummage through a carry-on-type bag he’d placed on the seat beside him. Sean took advantage of the solitude to enjoy the ride but was interrupted by the smell of smoke. “Hey Kenny, are you smoking? It’s not allowed in the limo.” “Oh okay. Sorry man! I didn’t know.” “There’s a sign right above the divider.” “I can’t see it, even with these glasses.” Kenny wore heavy black framed glasses which made his appearance even more bizarre. “What about pot? Can I smoke pot? It’s legal for me.” “Why, do you use it for medical reasons? Do you have a card or a note from a doctor?” Kenny didn’t answer directly. Instead he replied: “I come to London, to the hospital, three times a week. Car accident...” “Oh, okay, well...”

Sean’s thoughts were interrupted by Kenny suddenly scrambling to the front and leaning through the divider. “What speed are you going?” he blurted out. “We need to get to London fast.” Sean glanced at the limo clock and it read four o’clock. “The speed limit... What time are you meeting the girl?” “She gets off at four thirty.” “Kenny, we’re over an hour away. There’s no way!” “Here!” Kenny waved a hundred dollar bill through the divider. “Get us there on time and it’s worth money.” Sean extended his left hand over his right shoulder and took the money. “I’ll speed up to one eighteen, but I won’t break the limit beyond that... Not for anyone!” “Listen; if you get a ticket I’ll defend you in court.” Sean hesitated before answering; he was tempted to be sarcastic but thought the better of it. “Thanks, but I really don’t want to go to court. Bin there! Done that...!” Kenny didn’t respond to the answer; it was almost as though he forgot his thoughts right after he spoke them. Instead he said: “You should see this chick; pretty as a picture with a good personality.” At the same time as he was speaking he was rocking back and forth across the divider to the rhythm of some tune in his head. “Hey Kenny, you’re blocking my view.” (Actually he wasn’t- limo drivers depended more on the side mirrors- but Sean needed an excuse to get him out of his ear; he feared he might start singing instead of simply moving his head to an inaudible beat.) “Oh, okay man. Sorry.” Kenny stopped moving from side to side but stayed at the divider. “So Kenny, where is this pickup in London?” “The gas station...” “Oh okay. What gas station?” “By the highway...” The vague answers troubled Sean- getting specifics was going to be a process- but he pressed on, hoping his questions would help him zoom in on the exact location. “Wellington Road?” “That’s it.”

“There’s a bunch of gas stations around there. Which one...?” Kenny didn’t answer the question. But he did move to the back. A few minutes later he blurted out, “Sean, I need to piss man!” “Good timing,” Sean replied as he spotted a service-centre turnoff. Kenny fidgeted in the back seat but he didn’t respond to the comment, giving Sean the gut feeling that he wanted to do more than just relieve his kidneys. Sean also suspected that it wasn’t to have a normal smoke although his past experience hadn’t prepared him for what exactly it might be; he’d dealt with irrational drunks wanting a pee break on the way to and from concerts and druggies dashing into alleys to get a fix, but weirdoes who’d had their brains fried on drugs was another matter. Perhaps, with Kenny, it was simply the effects from a car accident, but he was beginning to think otherwise. Sean followed the arrows at the service centre around to the truck stop, parked, and then released the door lock. Kenny scrambled out and hustled across the lot to the back entrance of a Tim Hortons. Sensing that he might be a little while getting back (after all, being in a hurry had not deterred him from stopping) and needing a cup-of-courage, Sean decided to get a coffee. It was late August, with hoards of people traveling the roads, so the line to the coffee was long; but he still managed to be first back at the limo. The solitude was welcomed, and as he opened his coffee and took that first sip, he sighed with the sigh that no one seems to remember. It wasn’t long after that Kenny arrived back and settled into the back seat. To Sean’s surprise, he was silent until they reached Wellington Road; oh, he fumbled in his carry-on bag and he tapped his feet incessantly- what Kay called the Windsor Shuffle- but he stayed at the back and there was no talking, or singing. “It’s up there that we’re going, right?” Sean asked, pointing north on Wellington. “I don’t know man. You’re driving.” “Well, you’re paying me to get you where you’re going, and to get you there safe, but I still need directions,” Sean replied caustically. Kenny didn’t respond. They headed north. The road swung left as it passed up and over the highway, then leaned right at Exeter Road. On the right side was the first gas station. “Is that the station?” Sean asked, pointing and at the same time glancing in the rear view mirror to see if Kenny was paying attention. Kenny’s face was up against the glass, trying, despite his poor eyesight, to identify a station he’d never paid attention to from a distance.

“I think so,” he replied. Realizing he’d need to check each station in the area until the girlfriend was found, Sean pulled up beside the cashier’s booth of this first station. “This is it!” exclaimed Kenny as they approached, then began rummaging through his bag. Sean glanced through the windows of the cashier station looking for the girlfriend but there was no girl, only a male attendant behind a desk. “Would you like me to go in? I don’t see a female in there.” He could sense that Kenny was nervous. “What’s your girlfriend’s name?” “Yeah, okay man,” replied Kenny, his voice uncertain: quiet, low, not at all the tone that Sean had been used to so far. “Her name’s Dawn.” Sean exited the limo and went inside, not at all confident of what he was going to say. A young man- actually a boy in his late teens- was reading a magazine and didn’t look up until Sean addressed him. “Hey bud, I need some information. Does a girl named Dawn work here?” “Dawn...? Yeah she works here, but not today. It’s her day off,” replied the attendant. Sean laughed out loud as the attendant stared at him. “You’re kidding?” He couldn’t believe that his client was picking up a girl from work, supposedly a girlfriend, who wasn’t even at work. The attendant returned to his reading and Sean turned to leave, and then stopped. "Why was he leaving?" he wondered. After all, he’d come this far, the client had money, and the attendant knew Dawn. Turning around and facing the attendant, Sean interrupted the boy’s reading by saying, “Listen, my client is Dawn’s cousin and he’s just come into town. He doesn’t know where she lives, just that she works here. I need her address, if you don’t mind.” The reaction was immediate: “Can’t do that,” he replied, before standing up and looking out at the limo. “Are you sure” Sean asked, as the attendant sat down again. The attendant's look out the window gave Sean the motivation to push for the information. “Listen, I’ve brought Kenny all the way from Windsor. It would be a shame for him to go all that way home without seeing Dawn.” He watched for a softening response. There was none. “Sorry, no can do.” “Okay. See ya.”

Sean summarily walked back to the limo, got behind the wheel, then looked back at Kenny. “Hey Kenny, Dawn’s not working today and the attendant won’t give me her address. Do you know it?” There was a momentary pause. Then Kenny replied, “Money talks!” and hustled out of the limo. Sean watched him talking with the attendant, then observed him passing some money over the counter; and he couldn’t help but believe that, yes, money talks. Kenny returned a few minutes later with a scrap piece of paper in his hand. “So you got an address?” Sean asked. “Money talks...!” “So, where are we going?” Kenny moved up to the divider, handed me the scrap of paper, and then returned to the back seat. Sean, in turn, scanned the note; it gave directions, not just an address. “Do you know where that is?” asked Kenny. “Roughly... I’ll check it out on a map.” “Well, I need to wash up.” Kenny took his bag, got out of the limo and started toward a washroom sign posted on the side of a car wash located to one side of the cashier’s booth. As Sean watched, Kenny turned to respond to someone calling him from the pumps area, and then walked toward a tall black man who was in the process of pumping gas into his late model Buick. Sean idly watched as a conversation ensued- it lasted at least five minutes. Then Kenny started for the washroom and the black man approached the limo. Sean opened the window and made eye contact before asking, “Yes, can I help you?” “Oh, no... Kenny just said that you drove him up from Windsor.” “And you are...? “Oh, sorry... Cat Williams...” “Glad to meet you Cat. I’m Sean.” Cat extended his hand and Sean shook it.

“So, do you know Kenny?” Cat asked. “Well... getting to.” “Quite a character, isn’t he?” “Uhm... yeah, that’s a good word for it. Do you know him?” “Yes. He’s a character, but he’s alright. He likes to sing.” “You got that right, but how do you know that?” “He was on stage with me last night.” “Are you a musician?” “Yes I am.” Cat was very distinguished in his speech. “Actually, Kenny wanted me to give you directions to the bar where I’m playing tonight.” “Oh, okay,” Sean responded but all he could think of at that point was that Kenny was going to be gone for more than the prepaid four hours which meant he’d better get some more money out of him. “It’s the Midnight Grill. Ever heard of it?” “Nope... I’ll need directions.” “Well, let’s see. It’s up off of Adelaide. In the north east...” “Okay.” “Just past Huron... The first street on the right; you can’t go left. If you go over the bridge you’ve gone too far.” “Okay. I've got it. We’ll probably see you there. Take care. Nice meeting you.” Cat turned and walked into the cashier’s booth and, while Sean didn't know him he was inclined to believe that he was indeed a musician because he seemed like one: at ease with strangers, good voice, probably a singer. When Cat came back out, he gave Sean a quick wave, walked to his car, and drove off. Sean waited a few minutes for Kenny to reappear, but when he didn’t he decided to check a map for directions to Dawn’s place and to the bar; he suspected he could find one- buy it if necessary- in the cashier’s booth. “What’s with that guy?” asked the attendant as Sean approached the counter; he was still sitting but his magazine was nowhere in sight. Why?”

“He gave me a hundred bucks for a frickin address.” “Yeah, well, he’s a bit crazy. Did you also give him a phone number?” Sean didn’t want to show up at another address and find no one there. “Yep...” “Listen, do you have maps here?” “Over there,” he replied, pointing to a rack of roadmaps. Sean picked out a London-area map, opened it first to the Wellington Street area, then searched for and found Dawn’s place. He then scrolled the accordion sections of the map to one that covered Adelaide Street and found the location of the bar. “Thanks,” he said to the attendant as he put the map back where he’d found it and headed back to the limo, the information stored in his head (he was frugal). Was Kenny shaving, washing up, or getting his head together? Sean wasn’t sure, but whatever it was it took over twenty minutes. During this time he waited, either inside the limo or walking around the lot stretching his limbs. Waiting is a fact of life in the limo business.

To be continued...

Untitled – By Lisa Marie Mueller

Untitled â&#x20AC;&#x201C; By Lisa Marie Mueller

Poetry

A Playboy’s Legacy – By Stephen Campbell ‘Love of life makes me glad’, I was told by my friend, ‘It’s the best fun I’ve had, Let me play till the end, And the day I grow old, And leap into my grave, About me will be told, The great game that I craved.’ For life is a strange game, Essentially fair, Cheating is all the same, The losers do not care. But when the game is done, A stone is all that’s won.

Coloured Digital Devil – By Stan Nelson

America’s Children – By Stephen Campbell Look at the child smile, but if she did know, What kind of a world she has discovered, She would not remain, rather she would go, And escape the blanket that smothers her. Such a bed may be forced on her some day, When she has to lower her life and bray Like an ass in heat; she’ll sweat for her pay. Poor child sleep now and forget New York’s streets, Perverted by wars and a man bearing sweets.

Sunset on Consecon â&#x20AC;&#x201C; By Lee Ann Marie Macdonald

Work In Progress â&#x20AC;&#x201C; By Kris Marentette Thought about the house where I grew up Saw my days upon the vacant land Drinking rain from off the roof in a coffeecup And a dandelion was a globe of dreams you held within your hand

IMMS MSMI By CS Cartier had it when I was born, will have it till I die the smile is fake, ignoring the pain unsure if decisions are normal and sane commonly ignored, others take running for granted watching my children playing, my feet loosely planted walking is a struggle, balance long been gone vision is next, need to appreciate each dawn hands tingle and are numb, feeling is fading for sure fatigue looks like laziness, no energy will cure manhood was robbed along with intimate pleasure eventful restroom breaks would be a great treasure a good night sleep is rare indeed dreams do not come with great speed praying I did not pass this curse to my brood as the world slips away; it is hard to hide my sour mood the smile is fake, emotional weakness locked in my chest

M S M I or M I M S

Untitled - By Nadide Paker Gurcuoglu

Non-Fiction Futurism in the Funnies – By Roy G. James

Figure 25 – Superboy # 219, National Periodical Publications, Inc., 1976 “The Plunder Ploy of the Fatal Five”

Inter-planetary Travel Interplanetary travel always holds a fascination for people. The media often returns to the Star Trek-like programming. Orson Welles’ famous [or infamous] broadcast of H.G. Wells’ “War of the Worlds” was most effective. The Apollo II project of 1969 was so earth-shaking, I believe, not because it was a first but because what had only been written about by sci-fi authors and futurists was now a reality. It was almost as hard to accept as the discoveries of Copernicus – man’s accomplishments are greater but his significance seems less.

Figure 26 [page following] – Amazing Adventures # 36, Marvel Comics Group, 1976 “Red Dust Legacy” Character: Killraven

Flyboy promo poster for the future graphic novel “When Heroes Were” – By Victor Castro [pencils]; Roger Price [inks]; Roger Formidable [colours]

Family Life The Drunken Dragon Tavern â&#x20AC;&#x201C; By Christina Marchetti Here goesâ&#x20AC;Ś Hi there folks, I am going here from one extreme to the next, going from a job I do everyday to one I do on the side and absolutely love, cooking. The recipe I am sending out is a 15th century beef stew recipe (Italian). It is a recipe that I use when I am doing medieval demonstrations for the grade four classes at the schools here in Windsor, or public demonstrations. The stew has a sweet/tart taste, is made of ingredients you more than likely have in your house and is tasty served with cheese and a salad on the side. A nice glass of red wine, (dry) really compliments this dish. I had the Italian name for the stew, but I obviously didn't store it with the recipe as I can't find it. Enjoy Tina

Pie in a Pipkin 3.5 pounds of stewing beef cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Buy a cheap roast and cut it yourself. Stewing beef can be pricey. 2 medium onions 1/2 cup of raisins 1/4 tsp each of cloves, nutmeg, mace and pepper 1 tbsp of white vinegar or to taste salt to taste. The raisins in this recipe are used to thicken the stew, so do not plump them before cooking. A quick rinse if you are worried about dirt will suffice. Brown the beef in some oil and put in stew pot along with juices. SautĂŠ the onions in additional oil, if needed, until they are tender and translucent and then add to the stew pot. Add spices, raisins and about 1/2 cup of water, enough to keep the pot from scorching and in order to make the gravy. Bring to boil and turn to simmer. Cook until beef cooked and tender, about 1.5 to 2 hours, adding water as needed to maintain gravy and keep from sticking. Remember to stir every so often so it doesn't stick. Raisins have a lot of sugar in them and it is the caramelization of this sugar that thickens this recipe. Once cooked, add vinegar, stir and taste. It should have a sweet / tart flavour to it. I absolutely love this recipe, as the ingredients are always present in my house and it doesn't require my dredging the beef in flour to thicken the gravy. You can add some carrots if you wish in order to add some veggies to it, but most kids just love it the way it is, and so do the adults!!!!

Cheese and Butter – Medieval / Renaissance Food Clip-Art Collection – By Cindy Renfrow

Pop-Culture Comic Book Review – By Brad Bellmore

Northlanders: The Cross and the Hammer Vertigo began a new six issue Northlanders miniseries called The Cross and the Hammer, written by Brian Wood and drawn by Ryan Kelly. The story follows Magnus, an Irish insurgent and his daughter Brigid through eleventh century Ireland. Magnus is doing his part to overthrow the Viking rule of Ireland by killing off the soldiers and civil officers of the occupying force. He does this by tracking down and eliminating individuals, one target at a time. Opposing him is Ragnar Ragnarsson, brother to King Sigtrygg, ruler of Dublin. Ragnar uses rather surprisingly twenty first century techniques and language to track down this serial killer of his people. He is a Viking, however, so despite his training his tools and technology are appropriate to his time and culture. The comic is heavy on action and light on words, which is good because the dialogue often felt awkward or anachronistic. The latter would have been fine had it been consistent – such as Xena gave us. Kelly’s art is a bit on the rugged side. Part of me likes this. It seems fitting for the situation, dealing with: Vikings, early Celtic cultures, and living off the land while on the run from the law. It is a rugged story in a rugged time. Pretty art would almost feel out of place in this comic. There is part of me that wants it a little bit prettier though. Overall, I think this tale hints at something great. It just doesn’t seem to get there. Perhaps it is only flirting with greatness and misleading us with what is in store. I plead “let the buyer beware” on this one. I don’t plan to continue to follow this story, but I can easily see others catching onto this pretty easily. So take a gamble, but go into it knowing that it is a gamble.

Brad Bellmore connected with Carlos Weiser, creator of The Armageddon Chronicles, the 2008 winner of Platinum Studios’ Comic Book Challenge. Platinum plans to release The Armageddon Chronicles late this spring. Editor’s Note: Throughout the interview we will be sharing with you a sample page of The Armageddon Chronicles from pencils – to inks – to colours – to finished page with lettering. To see Carlos winning entry and pitch visit: http://www.comicbookchallenge.com/pitch.php?id=2835 RKYV: Give us an overview of the story. Weiser: The Armageddon Chronicles is set in the near future. The Gates of Hell have been opened and Demons have invaded and taken over Earth. Humans tried to fight back with the help of the Angelic Armies but their forces were not enough to resist the massive assault. The war between all three factions became know as The Armageddon Wars; it is during the aftermath of the war that an unlikely hero surfaces to save humankind. Nicodemus, Nico to his friends, is the son of an angel and a demon. He’s grown under the care of an old wizard named Dante; and along with Gabby, a beautiful girl that survived the war and is part of the Celestial Resistance and Tartaruchi, a small demon that wants to become an angel, he will go on a great adventure to close the Gates of Hell and save the world. RKYV: You did both the art and the writing? Weiser: I came up with the idea and wrote the story. I also do the penciling, the inking and some of the coloring and lettering but the coloring and lettering is mainly done by my wife, Gabriela Lander. RKYV: What comes first for you, the story or the images? Weiser: This is my first time creating a comic book, but to me the first thing you need is an idea. Once you have an idea you can develop it further by adding both the story and the images. In my case, as I draw the characters I’m already thinking on their personalities, backgrounds, mannerisms, the way they talk, etc. But I believe that to create a successful book you need to write the story first and then go and illustrate it. The drawings may very well change during the process and not follow the script entirely as long as it adds to the story and makes for better storytelling.

RKYV: Why comics? Why not another medium? Weiser: It is a media that has grown on me since I was a kid; I’ve been a fan of comics ever since I can remember. I like the fact that comics are accessible to everyone and you can transmit a lot by showing both text and images at the same time. One of the things I enjoy the most about comic books is the artwork. The phrase “an image is worth more than a thousand words” applies perfectly to this media. I love reading and I love movies and to me comic books is a way of combining both, you get to read and you get to see awesome scenes and characters and different worlds without the expensive special effects. I just love the combination of literature and art all in one book. And as I mentioned before, it always been my dream to someday be a comic book artist and this time I’m not only illustrating a comic book, I also get to come up with the idea and write the whole book. RKYV: What inspires you? Weiser: Everything. I take inspiration from everything I see in life but most importantly from the things I don’t see that I sometimes wish existed or think it would be cool to see. My wife always says that whenever I’m not talking I’m inventing and imagining new things, and I’m a very quiet person. RKYV: Who are your influences? Weiser: Some of my favorite artists are: Joe Madureira, Humberto Ramos, J. Scott Campbell, and Michael Turner. I’m not big in adding too much realism to comic books; I like what some would call a “cartoony” style. I also like mythology and fantasy books and love reading novels that are based in alternate worlds. RKYV: Is there anything of your own story in this magazine? Weiser: I don’t know if there’s anything of my own story but I can tell you that the whole idea started with part of my philosophy of life. I believe that there’s good and evil in every one of us, that we were created with the capacity to do both, but it is our choices in life that take us in one direction or the other. This may not be too obvious sometimes since we live in a “gray” world and not everything can be seen as black or white and that’s one of the reasons why I created the main character, Nico, half demon, half angel he has both good and evil in him and his choices will determine the outcome of the story.

RKYV: Do you use your art to discover or reveal yourself? Weiser: I’ve always used my art as a way to hide myself from the real world. When I draw I can forget about the rest of the world and live in my own worlds. I’m a very shy person and drawing has been a perfect way for me to express myself and also as a way to relieve stress. Sometimes is easier for me to just do a quick drawing on a Christmas or Birthday card instead of writing, because sometimes I simply don’t know what to say but I usually know what to draw.

RKYV: What was the contest experience like for you? Weiser: The contest was an awesome experience and it got better and better as we kept moving up in the competition. When we were chosen in the Top 50 I was very excited and started right away to work on the pitch video. Then we made it to the Top 10 and online voting started and that’s when things went crazy. I was getting e-mails every day from family and friends and people I didn’t even know just telling us that they voted and were supporting us all the way. I created a Facebook group thinking I could at least get 40 or 50 people to join and we ended up having more than 500 members in just a couple of weeks. It was great having all that people supporting us and cheering for our story all the way until the end. RKYV: How did you find out about the contest? Weiser: There was a competition organized by Marvel Comics to create 3 pages of comic book art based on the Blade TV series. I didn’t know anything about making comics but I sent my pages anyway, I even sent my pages drawn on letter sized paper because I didn’t know comics were drawn on 11x17. I started to learn more about how to make comic books. Some time after that I was feeling down and my wife, to cheer me up, started looking for more contests related to comics… she found in the internet about the first Comic Book Challenge, it was around April or May 2006, and they were calling for submissions. In less than one week I created and put together an idea for my first story, it was called “Greek Squad”. In that opportunity I made it to the top 50 and pitched my idea to a panel of judges in San Diego, CA. We tried again for the second CBC and we didn’t even make it to the Top 50. For 2008 I decided to go with a different story and came up with the whole idea for “The Armageddon Chronicles” and I still can’t believe we won the contest and our book will get published.

RKYV: Why did you decide to enter the contest? Weiser: It’s been a long life dream to become a comic book artist. It is very hard to get into the world of comics and the contest was an excellent opportunity. In my opinion it is like the American Idol of comic books, I am very grateful I have a chance to show what I can do and I hope it helps me by opening new doors. RKYV: What is the plan now? Is your book in production? Weiser: I’m in the process of writing the script and I’ve already started drawing the first pages. We are still a long way to go but I’m enjoying every second of it. RKYV: What is the intended run? Weiser: The prize was a deal for 88 pages in either 4 issues or just one graphic novel. At this point we are leaning towards publishing the story as an 88-page book. RKYV: When do you expect it to be in print? Weiser: We don’t have a set date yet but it’ll be sometime in Spring 2009. RKYV: Are there other projects in the works? Weiser: I have other ideas for graphic novels but nothing that I’m currently working on or that we have any plans of publishing. I did further develop the idea of “Greek Squad” and would like to someday be able to publish it. Maybe if “The Armageddon Chronicles” is successful I’ll be able to convince a publishing company to produce some of my other ideas. Only time will tell. Editor’s Note: For more on Carlos Weiser and his fantastic art, visit: http://www.carlosweiser.com/

Raised on Saturday Morning Cartoons – By Pauline Pare’

ABC’s “Lost” is currently in its fifth season and still churning out the mysteries and excitement. This show is action packed but it is also a long involved mystery with numerous twists and turns. Certainly, “Lost” is a series worthy of long coffee shop discussions and debates. There are more guides to “Lost” on the internet than you could shake a stick at (I love that saying) and one could definitely get ‘lost’ trying to find the info they want about the show. Wikipedia’s page, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_(TV_series) has great info on the show’s history, direction and relevance to current pop culture. I loved the section on Casting. The producers rewrote many of the characters in order to play to the strengths of several actors that they auditioned. Some actors had parts written especially for them to make their talents part of the show. There are several guide to just update the viewers but IGN’s 3 part series article, http://stars.ign.com/articles/945/945489p1.html is my favourite. This link details each main characters role on the island, details of who they are now in the 5th season and gives us an opinion of what was the character’s defining moment. If you want to get more in depth information or if you just want to look up a fact, losthatch.com is your website. I loved how easy it was to cross reference characters with their relationships to each other or just to see what nicknames Sawyer has used for each character though the shows

history. The site describes itself as “one of the most comprehensive searchable databases of information about the ABC TV show LOST”. I only looked around the site a short while but I could certainly spend a long time looking through all of the interesting facts. Usually I am not a fan of websites put out by the networks but they gloss over details and bombard you with advertisements, but the page that ABC set up for “Lost” fans to publish, rate and comment on theories is a lot of fun. Half the fun of “Lost” is discussing your own theories about the island’s mysteries ad the direction the show is taking. The rating systems helps guide you to the most interesting theories and the discussions the theories spark are amusing and informative. I hope these guides will help you get the most out of your “Lost” experience. Next season will be the final one for “Lost” and hopefully… all of our questions will be answered. Locke, to Jack: "Do you really think all this... is an accident. That we, a group of strangers survived, many of us with just superficial injuries We were brought here for a purpose, for a reason. All of us." "Henry" (aka Ben, to Locke): "God doesn't know where we are, John. He can't see this island any better than the rest of the world can." Mr. Eko: "Do not mistake coincidence for fate."