Of Geek Girls, Sasquatch, and other myths...

Let me preface this with saying I am kind old, like 40 old. There has been a lot of talk lately about Geek Girls not getting their due, and comparing themselves to the mythical Unicorn. People have heard of girls that like Star Wars, comics, and playing D&D, but nobody has even seen them. The stories of them bounced around Geek Boys basements everywhere. Where geek boys got together with their friends and did some gaming, or watched some Science Fiction, there was talk about this fictional member of the opposite sex. Let me tell you I was one of those guys. When I grew up guys played with GI-Joe, girls played with Barbie. Girls looked down on Star Wars as boring, and playing D&D as lame. In my family there was not one female that hung out with the males in the family and our geeky pursuits.

Then fast forward to about 2004. This is when some guys at work talked me into playing World of Warcraft, the MMORPG. In this game I came across people from all walks of life, including females. This was totally new to me and the first inkling that something different was going on. As time went on, not only were females good at the game, they were guild and raid leaders. This would have been a place reserved for males just a few years before. Times they were a changing. Then a few years ago I joined Twitter and it opened up a whole new world to me. I went in knowing very few people. One of those people goes by the name of MsMarvelGirl on Twitter. She is a young graphic artist that is an avid Marvel comic reader. Through her, and probably because of my Twitter handle hulksmash02 I was introduced to a whole gaggle of Geek Girls.

One of the first was Felicia Day. I came across her name when someone recommended the Guild web series. Now she is a Goddess among Geek Girls. Geek Girls are out there. They not only read science fiction they write it. They are artists, actresses, web series writers and stars, they are big name celebrities. They also are not going away, nor should you as Geek Boys want them to. Now is a great time for you to meet someone with the same interests, that knows what a Tardis is, and can kick your ass at Halo. Ok maybe the last may not be that great, but you get my meaning. They are real and they are out there waiting for you to say hello. They are just as shy and awkward as you and it may take some time, but it will be totally worth it. Just treat them with respect, don't freak out, and don't immediately comment on their boobs. Here is just a list of just a few really cool and talented Geek Girls that you can follow on Twitter.



@ComicBookGrrl

@fightmaven

@ComixBookGurl

@Geekyjessica

@pattyjrobinson

@amy_geek

@slackerheroes

@amyokuda

@feliciaday

@MsMarvelGirl

You really can go home again...

I just finished reading The New Teen Titans Graphic Novel called Games. This book was over twenty years in the making and boy was it worth it. With the advent of the DCnU I never thought I would care about a comic again. Then I read this Graphic Novel. It is written by Marv Wolfman and George Perez the creators of the New Teen Titans. It was started over twenty years ago so there are some continuity differences in the story but it is written with characters that I grew up with and how I remember them being written. Starfire is an alien warrior with a heart of gold, not the vapid bimbo that she is in the new DCnU book that she is in. Cyborg is grown up and a hero already not some kid that has not even turned into Cyborg yet that they have in the DNnU. Donna Troy is in it in her Troia identity, Nightwing is the leader, and Changeling goes from comic relief to being the heart of the book.  Danny Chase, one of my least favorite Titans becomes really likeable in this story.

      I keep going back to the DCnU because they have stomped all over the characters that I love and reading this book has brought that into great clarity. This is how comics should be written and drawn. The art by George Perez is gorgeous throughout the book, and Marv Wolfman writes a compelling story that not everyone comes away unscathed from. I never thought I would see this Titans team drawn by George and written by Marv again unless it was in re-releases. I never thought I would see one last original story of my favorite characters by my favorite creators. I really hope they see the magic they have and do some more together.

     The story itself is a time capsule of the 90’s but does not seem dated at all. It has the Titans team and surrounding characters from the 90’s Titans. The story is high stakes. There is an enemy that has found out all of the Titans friends and relatives. To coin the phrase, people live, people die, and the Titans will never be the same. The characterization is spot on and something that nobody else has come close to on the Titans since. Since it was started 20 years ago It definitely stands as standalone comic outside regular continuity. The dust jacket on the novel reads: Discover who the power players truly are In New Teen Titans: Games, the long anticipated swan song for one of the most beloved superhero sagas of all time. I could not have said it better myself.

What do you get when you cross John Wayne with a Zombie?

You get Zombie Outlaw. The new independent comic series from series writer Brian J. Apodaca and artist B. Paul Jordan. If you need your Zombie fix and are tired of the heaviness that is The Walking Dead, then this is the comic for you. The art and writing are breezy and the writing is an easy read. This comic takes place at Irvine State University where in the past one zombie is not trying to kill everyone but save a city from other zombies. I have gathered from the interview with the creative team we will learn more about them in subsequent issues. The badness starts in 1872 and continues until now. The three main characters are Will Simers the brains of the group and also pretty good at the love game. You have Matt Naismith the geek who is socially awkward and turns to Will for some help with the female lead K.T. Delaney. I don't want to give away spoilers here but there are zombies and definitely a cliff hanger. The art reminds me of Popeye and Mike Wierengo's work. Over the top but it works for the book. The lead zombie is a cowboy hat wearing zombie with a thirst for blood that also uses a gun. as you can see from the pic below. 

Cover of issue #1

Our hero Zombie Outlaw

I got a chance to ask the creative team some questions. They were kind enough to answer.


Geek Happenings: Paul. You have a really unique art style. Who were your influences for your art? Also are the green creatures zombies also? Are we going to find out more about them in future issues?

Benny Jordan: First off, go ahead and call me Benny.

    The influences for my art were Skottie Young, Mike Wierengo, and Carlos Meglia. Although my style reflects nothing of those artists, I appreciated the cartoonish flare that they put into their illustrations.  Many comics these days seem to have the same serious feel and style, so they become a bit stagnant to me. I wanted this book to have a sort of Saturday morning cartoon feel, being somewhat nostalgic.

    The first issue, art-wise, was not my best work.  I was still at an experimental stage with the art.  Since then I've gone on to work on a comic title for Scattered Comics Studios with Jason Dube called Shadow Hunters.  I learned a lot while doing that book.  Though the two books are completely different in art styles, I've taken what I've learned, as well as taking into consideration all the great reviews and critiques for the first Zombie Outlaw book, and have applied it to the second issue of "ZO".  My style is still quite similar to the first issue but the characters flow a little smoother, my panel layout is considerably better, and my backgrounds are going to be more than just negative space. So, for those who have read the first issue, the characters in issue 2 will have some slight differences.  I look at the first issue as being somewhat of a pilot episode, realizing what changes need to be made and applying them to the next.




Geek Happenings: Brian, did you have an idea where the story was going to go, or how many issues you wanted to do? Did you have a planned end spot?


Brian Apodaca: Ben and I have an idea for where the story is going to go, but no set-in-stone endpoint.    We have the feeling of it being open-ended, like a sitcom or classic animated series, like Transformers or G.I. Joe, with a fair helping of the classic Apatow comedies
like Freaks and Geeks or Undeclared influencing the style as well.   There's definitely some Undeclared in there, and I'm a big fan of Freaks and Geeks as well, so that naturally bleeds into the college-based story. I think with the artwork, as Benny has said, there's a lot of animated cartoon influence - maybe not so specific, but more of a general nostalgia for old cartoons we enjoyed watching - not just Transformers and G.I. Joe, but even Thundercats, Silverhawks, and even the Dungeons and Dragons cartoon and the Dragonslayer video game.   We're also both fans of the Scott Pilgrim books and the film adaptation.
  
    The College setting is the main base of the story, but the second issue is in production at this point, and there's a trip to a nearby Tiki-Bar that is frequented by some of the college students that becomes important as the story goes on.
   
    The second issue will introduce several new characters, and flesh out one of the characters we only saw briefly at the end of Issue #1 - Scooter Donatelli.   
   
    As to your question about the green creatures:   Yes, they were Zombies!   And we will see more of them as time goes on. There will also be another flashback/storytelling sequence from the Western Occult History book, which will reveal more about the 1870s (original!) Zombie Outlaw, Edward Dransby.

If you want to learn more about the Zombie Outlaw movement there are plenty of ways to get in touch and give comments.

1) Zombie Outlaw Facebook Page:     http://www.facebook.com/zombieoutlawcomic

2) The "Zombie Outlaw" creative team will be appearing at the ComiKaze Expo on November 5th and 6th  http://www.comikazeexpo.com

3) There is a "Zombie Outlaw - OUTBREAK" Cosplay Event happening October 23rd -  (Facebook-accessible link)  -  https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=253199048057438


So get your Zombie on.