Gone South #1

Halloween has long been my favorite holiday, so I’ve decided to return to reviewing comic books with some regularity this month. Every week this month, I’ll post at least one special Halloween-oriented review, criticizing the issue based on its reverence for this hallowed holiday season through four distinct categories worth up to five points each. The comic that earns the total possible 20 points could be one of the best Halloween issues ever!

Gone South #1, July 2003, Atomic Basement Entertainment
writer: Mike Wellman
pencils: Marc Sandroni
inks: Larry Welch
ink assists: Christi Fischer
lettering/production: Johnny Lowe
cover colors/logo design: Jeff Parker
panel effects: Jon St. John

PREMISE: Spoiler alert! You wouldn’t know it by this issue’s cover, which is also effectively the story’s first panel, but Gone South is about vampires. Rest assured, though, it was about vampires before everything was about vampires, so it’s still cool. Victoria and Sylvia are two good-looking brunettes hiding out in some Podunk southern town -- from what or who, we don’t know yet. I admit, the premise seems a little shaky to sustain this issue as a legitimate focus for Halloween, but hang in there with me as I award Gone South three out of five points here.

STORY: I think writer Mike Wellman knows what he’s doing. The first half of this issue keeps things quiet -- a little too quiet -- as suspense builds around Victoria’s need for “getting some,” despite this backwoods towns’ slim pickings. She accepts the company of a local yokel, Clyde, who despite her insinuations to be alone takes her to his buddy’s house, where “Drunk Dave” and a group of horny hicks drug up a wayward wanna-be actress. Victoria accepts their drugged drinks and drags the ring leader behind closed doors, only to emerge alone and rescue the damsel in distress. She almost spares Clyde for his ignorance but her needs get the better of her, and just when the fangs come out -- Sylvia comes to his rescue! She wipes his mind of the day’s memories, hopefully assuring their privacy. At its best moments, this issue plays like an old Trauma film, its dark comedy exposing the flaws of man so we actually don’t mind seeing a few of them slain just to satiate some creature’s bloodlust. Four out five points!

ART: The art team of Sandori, Welch, and Fischer pull off a very effective black and white issue, with clean lines emphasizing all the right details. The panels are well paced and hit all the right beats. The art is consistent, characteristic of this kind of independent work, and appropriately goth when necessary. Still, mainstream audiences would be drawn to its crisp commercial appeal, as well. Another four out of five points.

PACKAGING: This is a nicely produced independent comic; I remember buying it from Mike at a book fair in Los Angeles a few years ago (along with an issue of his Mac Afro), and I’ve been waiting for the right time to read it. Although the cover would benefit from some more dressing, perhaps to exploit the current vampire trend, the supplemental “vampire glossary” in the back of the issue, defining the physical and psychological class structure of vampires in Wellman’s world, is a nice touch. I’ll mention that my copy has a few off-printed pages, but I know that often isn’t the creators’ intention, so it won’t affect their score of three out of five points.

TOTAL: At fourteen points, I assure you that Gone South #1 is an excellent read all year ‘round. That I only chose to read it now more emphasizes my ridiculous mania with the holiday season (and my inability to flip to the end of an issue so I know what it’s about ahead of time)! Also, considering the mad trend of vampirism in pop culture lately (from the Twilight series to the WB’s The Vampire Diaries to that latest ‘tween-friendly flick The Vampire’s Assistant), I just had to include a vampire-exclusive story in this Halloween series. Fortunately, unlike vampires themselves, it didn’t suck!

Mac Afro: Sleeze 'N Crackers One-Shot

Mac Afro: Sleeze 'N Crackers One-Shot, August 2006, Atomic Basement Entertainment
writer: David Walker
artist: Rafael Navarro
colorist: Guy Lemay
letterer: Johnny Lowe
creator: Mike Wellman

Blogger's note: Entry for Friday, February 8, 2008.

I had the pleasure of shaking Mike Wellman's hand twice last year during his promotional tour of Star Trek: The Manga: Kakan ni Shinkou (which I reviewed here); though I was on the heels of his fellow writer/Trek contributor Wil Wheaton, briefly meeting Wellman also introduced me to his brainchild Mac Afro, whose adventure in this Sleeze 'N Crackers one-shot offers excellent insight into the complications of interracial space travel. Before I proceed, I should clarify that I completely endorse interracial space exploration; in fact, some of my favorite sci-fi characters are black. (I’m looking at you, Tuvok!) All I’m saying is, before we venture into the cosmic unknown and meet races from other planets, we obviously must attempt to conquer the differences amongst us on Earth.

Consider Captain Buck Trustwell. In Mac Afro: Sleeze 'N Crackers, Captain Trustwell befriends Afro for help traveling through the Mau Mau Nebula to confront the Starbuckian rebels that have kidnapped their virgin Princess Falopia. You’d think Trustwell would be grateful for Afro’s help, but when the Starbuckian forces get the drop on them and the going gets tough, the good Captain and his men let loose with a string of racial slurs, calling our hero everything from “porch monkey” to “jigaboo.” Despite a few casualties, they rescue the princess and make it back to the ship, where Afro’s undeniable charm wins the day . . . and Falopia’s “first time,” reducing Trustwell to tears. Didn’t anyone tell him that all’s fair in love and interstellar war?

This issue of Mac Afro is an excellent introduction to its character, if writer David Walker’s Shaft-meets-Buck Rogers interpretation is true to Wellman’s original intentions. I can understand Wellman’s inspiration for his contribution to the Kakan ni Shinkou anthology, which features Captain Kirk on trial for a crime so ambiguous that even the reader is left guessing the accusations. His phasers first, ask questions later mentality? His blatant (green) womanizing? Try all of the above, and probably one or two more crimes I’ve forgotten -- and while Kirk must defend his smoldering masculinity in the context of the 24th century, Mac Afro makes no apologies for his hubris. In fact, it seems to be his greatest asset, and while Walker’s decision to use hard-hitting racial slurs makes this story unavoidably controversial, Afro’s confidence in the face of Trustwell’s insecurities overpowers their potential to offend. Interestingly, aside from an initial disbelief, Afro doesn’t even comment on the name-calling and instead relies solely on his sense of self-preservation to conquer his obstacles, not to mention the girl. His attitude is a lesson to be learned by all of us.

I’d be remiss not to mention Rafael Navarro’s art, which is a perfect compliment to Mac Afro’s blaxploitation space romp genre. His style is obviously of the Kirby school, what with the “Kirby dots” accentuating Afro’s, er, afro, and his brushstroke balances the humor of this issue’s more sordid scenes with the seriousness of the characters’ galactic peril. The best part of Navarro’s contributions is this issue’s cover, as its rich blue and purple cosmos betrays a ‘70s grooviness within that seeming endlessness of space. Princess Falopia’s writhing bikini-clad body is really just a bonus. Gratefully, the cover is reproduced sans title on the back of this issue -- particularly for me because Wellman and Navarro were kind enough to sign my copy at the West Hollywood Book Fair.

Mac Afro: Sleeze ‘N Crackers might not be one’s first choice as a representative for Black History Month, but to me, it’s an excellent addition, if only to indicate what the future might be like for all of us. While traversing the galaxy doesn’t defeat Captain Buck Trustwell’s shallow racism, trekking the stars also keeps the likes of Mac Afro ironically well grounded, instilling in him a character that most men would love to be, and that woman would love be with. Indeed, this is one afro I’d pick any day.