Tag: Indie Comics

The Burtons Steal Attention with Thieves of Fate

By B. MURACA

Hello and long time no see my fellow book addicts.  It’s a me, B!  Back with another dull as hell article that is so poorly written it is no wonder why writers are being replaced with AI.  Before you head on to read something by our robot overlords, take a look at The Thieves of Fate, written by Kira Burton, and drawn by her Leonardo DiCaprio brother (or was it Davinici?) James Burton.  

The book is another gem of the indie universe and is a thriller novella that is worth our money to check out. The story follows Jack, whom after being arrested is committed to a mental health facility. Since he has no memory of his life before those around Jack doubt his sanity. To make matters worse, he meets strange children who are called, you guessed it, Thieves!

For those who are fans of unreliable narrators, this book is for you. Jack is very likable due to his witty personality and the empathy one feels for someone in his situation. I mean come on, we have all gotten a bad case of amnesia and then locked in a psychiatric hospital abused by the staff…it wasn’t just me, right? The Thieves were also very interesting, and made me want to learn more about them and what kind of influence they would have on this mentally-fragile guy. This was a well-written and beautifully-drawn story that although short and should only take an afternoon to read, one would still enjoy the journey it takes you on. The book currently holds a five-star rating on Amazon, and is worth your time, money, compliments when you write reviews, and also mentioning the awesome blog you learned about this book from.

The creator, Kira Burton, I was able to talk to briefly. She is a swell person who understands how hard creators work on their craft. Mainstream books from the big publishers are great, but nothing beats the sensation of an exciting indie story that cuts right to the meat of characters going at it in a fast-paced tale.

Capture (but pay first) for your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Thieves-Fate-Kira-Burton/dp/153778210X

An Indie Comic Superhero Story

By B. MURACA

Hey book addicts, it’s a me, B!  Back again with another dreadful article I wrote while on the can after an undercooked taco tuesday.  So here, I share my pain with you in the form of book reviews.  Tonight is a fill-in article, so we’re going to talk briefly about an indie project. In all seriousness I apologize as my depression had jumped me from behind and bit me in the ass, so I’m sorry for delays again on The Book Rant.

Len Mihalovich is a creator of comic books.  In 1994 he published a superhero series known as Section 12.  Originally, it was published under Dilemma Productions, and the story followed a superhero team to “take care” of the millions of scientific failures from the government.  Odd concept, right?  I mean, the government would never spend millions of our taxpayer dollars on wacky projects that only ended in utter failure and would become a danger to civilization…right?

Anyways, after a few issues, production of the comic halted, but Mihalovich was not about to give up on a story he loved and was received very well during the boom of indie comics in the 90s.  Just like some of the characters in his stories, Len Mihalovich was someone who between his family and day job never gave up on his other

Future articles will give a further glance into Mihalovich’s background and stories, but for now check out his books and share them by going to: http://www.lenovationspress.com/lp1/main/purchase.asp

Pop into the Indie Comic Community

Hello my fellow book addicts!  As promised, we are back with another blog post, this time diving into the world of indie comic books!  I would like to discuss a few comic writers I’ve come to know over the last couple years on a professional and personal level (sort…they are online friends after all, haha!)

First off, we have Tyler Carpenter who you can follow on Twitter and his awesome Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/DrawandTalk/about

Tyler is someone who has created a platform to discuss not just new books that are coming out in the indie community, but he is a writer and artist who asks the tough questions and dives head-first into topics about comic books others might find controversial, due to worrying about how others might feel when it comes to things such as properly running a kickstarter campaign, or how some of the mainstream comics like Marvel and DC are turning towards taking on social issues rather than focusing on better stories (if you’ve seen the most recent Texas Chainsaw movie, you would see Tyler has a point).

He has a new book coming out called The Girl with Mega Fists, which you can back on Kickstarter at: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/entitycomic/the-girl-with-the-mega-fists-vol-1/

 And also check out here at: https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/the-girl-with-the-mega-fists-/list?title_no=709612&webtoon-platform-redirect=true#:~:text=THE%20GIRL%20WITH%20THE%20MEGA%20FISTS%3A%20a%20new%20ongoing%20series,partner%20presented%20by%20the%20gods.

Next up, we have Chuck Pineau.  One of his most recent comics is Belia, a dark comedy.  Chuck is a freelance writer and editors on all things comics, and knows a lot for the young man that he is.  His strongest advice that even I took is to simply sit down and get to writing (unless you write better jumping on a trampoline, then to each their own).  On his Facebook page which you can access through the following link, Chuck does regular, live podcast videos on the comic book industry, interviewing other writers and artists.  The best part is if you have questions and are eager to learn, he always answers.  Chuck also is one of the friendliest, and most upbeat people I’ve met.  If there’s a source you’re looking for in the comic industry, follow Chuck!

https://www.facebook.com/charlie.pineau/about_contact_and_basic_info

Do you love horror, heroes, and mayhem?  Get on the Ruben Romero train!  Another friendly guy who is always willing to answer questions for up-and-coming writers like himself.  Ruben has numerous projects going at once ranging from freelancing to his own stories.  “I don’t want to be just a comic book writer, I want to be THE comic book writer.”  Those were his words as to the kind of comic book writer he wanted to be, and his magical stories such as The Illusion Witch prove just that.  Dive into the magical world he created with Aayda Locke, who encounters real magic and demons.  You can also follow Ruben’s facebook page for his reviews on all things books and movies (and he’s such a king, never spoils anything!).

https://www.facebook.com/RubenRandomRomero

Finally, let’s hear a little bit about Aaron Wroblewski.  His most recent book, Blood & Fire, is set in 16th Century Japan, a time when the country is in chaos. A samurai tale of family, honor, love, and betrayal. Melding action and horror, it follows Nakaaki whose revenge takes him beyond… blood and fire, as the great Aaron tells me.  His stories are gritty and gruesome, but damn are they works of art.  You can back books of his like Blood and Fire here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/a-aron/blood-and-fire-a-samurai-tale-chapter-1-of-3?ref=project_link&fbclid=IwAR2DOkfwES6tzAuFifzQLBk2ybIkOKNQ6vYnOsE-FXkRbWpf7SJwdfDK_cg

You can follow many of his other works here: https://www.facebook.com/ajwroblewski1

Comic Books are great things, and if you’re a reader, get reading comics.  They provide all the benefits in becoming more intelligent and creative as regular books do, with the bonus of also having drawings!  Until next time folks!

-B.N. Muraca