COMIX THINKING – KERPOW!

Just a quick plug for the arena where I am struggling with my love/hate relationship with this comix media! I’d appreciate you clicking on the picture of Batman and letting me know what you think is wrong with my picture of the industry! My confidence in my own opinion is as weak as ever so feel free to put me right over at the Ulysses “Seen” blog where I currently do most of my serious thinking about comix!

COMIX TALK

While I’m still going to be talking about Zuda around these parts on a regular basis I’m moving my discussion about the nature and process of making webcomics over to Rob Berry’s Ulysses “Seen” website. His comic is such a massive project that the sensible talk of how why what where and when seems to sit better there than it does here.  That’s not to say you have to read his comic or know anything at all about James Joyce or the novel Ulysses – far from it! We’d be happy for you just to come over and talk about comics. I’ve set the ball rolling with the weighty topic of monetization – Rob naturally has plenty to say – but obviously we’d both like to hear what you think. Join us soon – I’m sure I’m going to say something stupid shortly!!!

ULYSSES-A-RAMA

A big bit of press for one of my many interests! If you’ve not “seen” it already Ulysses “Seen” is at the top of the pile of latest news stories over at Newsarama. I don’t think there’s a bigger plug for the site possible in comix terms so naturally we’re all a little proud of my buddy Rob who answers some pretty smart questions from newshound Steve Ekstrom.

I’d love for you to read it (not least because of my name check – thanks Rob) but also it is that rare thing – a great interview!

Ulysses “Seen” can of course be found here if you don’t already know.

MORE OF THOSE REVIEW THINGS

As promised over on my regular Reaching for the Top Shelf spot on the Ulysses “Seen” blog you’ll find me reviewing content from the Top Shelf online catalogue conveniently titled Top Shelf 2.0 – heh! Do drop by and if you’ve a mind for higher things you can always amuse yourself with my struggles through the great book itself – the latest installment right here. Must dash – projects to develop don’t you know!

REACHING FOR THE TOP SHELF

Missing my rabbit about online comix? You’ll find some new reviews here each and every week. Slightly more upmarket perhaps than what you might find on your current menu – the spandex and zombies are off – but all good fun never-the-less. OK, not so much fun with these first two but hopefully I’ll find some less miserable themes along the way

WHASSUP?

I hope, dear readers, that you will be interested to learn of my latest venture in the world of blogging. The picture above shows the entrance to world of Ulysses “Seen” the amazing comic adaptation of the James Joyce novel Ulysses by our very own Rob Berry. That’s the same guy doing the most difficult book of the 20th century AND the violent revenge saga featuring a big pink bunny known as The Hammer over on Zuda. You got a problem with that?

Anyhow as you can see above there are three ways into the site. The comic itself is self explanatory – lovingly drawn and coloured and now hand-lettered too. You can go there directly by clicking on the comic link on the opening page above. Since the comic like the novel is more than a little difficult to appreciate without aid, then you can also navigate the page by page reader’s guide for which you simply click the middle link on the site entrance. Lastly, and indeed least importantly, is the third link. The blog, which is the means whereby we update you on all the goings on relevent to the comic. That’s where you’ll find yours truly, me,  making a fool of myself as I try and navigate both the novel and the comic.

The blog is also a portal into the many sections of the site which aim to provide a vast resource of Joyce related information using Ulysses as the common starting point for hopefully many different types of conversation – not only about the novel or this comic in particular, but about the relationship between the two media in general. Hopefully I’ll be able to direct you to all the interesting things going on – something for all tastes. And if it isn’t there already I’ll write it myself!

Of course the comic is Rob’s baby, but the Reader’s Guide is written by Mike Barsanti, that hand-lettering and the entire site design is by Josh Levitas, and there is another shadowy figure in the background Chad Rutkowski to whom all things legal devolve (uurgh!). That’s three capable Joycean brains complimented by my own one non-joycean half. Should make for interesting reading. Will I be converted? Join us soon to find out. Same Joycean time. Same Joycean channel. (Do you see what I did there?)

ULYSSES SEEN

In lieu of my Digital Strip Futures page, recently disappeared, here’s another extract of one of the comics highlighted.

Talking (as I was) of taking comics to the next level, Rob Berry and co have taken ‘it’ up two levels, along the corridor and out of the fire escape. We are only a few pages in and it might take ten years to finish – but what a project! A complete annotated rich new media adaptation of the classic novel by James Joyce. Ulysses Seen is the name. I thought this was crazy when I first heard about it and now I still think it’s crazy, but guess what – it’s happening. And you’re not getting the full effect if you don’t subscribe to the blog – so do so, now! It’ll take me ten years to make sense of it and I hope I’m still around to see the finish!

I know what it all means y'know! I'm not thick.