DEMON by Jason Shiga

Jason Shiga's DEMON was first self-published in 21 chapters, print and digital, from 2014 to 2016, and then collected into four books from First Second in 2016 and 2017. It's the story of a man who, upon attempting suicide, discovers that he's a demon, meaning when his body dies his consciousness survives and he "possesses" the nearest human at the time of death. Complications ensue.

This is a really fun, if absurdly profane, comic, maybe Shiga's magnum opus to date (though I still have to pick up his new ADVENTUREGAME COMICS book, which seems promising). He creates a weird set of rules for how and why "demons" work in this world, and explores them in ways I can't even begin to understand how he got there.  I have to admit, there is a twist in the final book which I'm not sure I completely understand, in terms of what we've been told of how everything works, but I trust Shiga that the logic works out.

Just read it for the third time, but the first time in a short interval (one chapter a day most days for four weeks, and I have to say, a lot of those cliffhangers made sticking to the one-a-day plan difficult). I think it reads much better this way, and I'm kind of surprised that First Second split it the way they did, instead of one big book, or haven't come out with a complete one-volume version since.

Scribbly art update

 

Update on the Scribbly art by Sheldon Mayer I wrote about here.

The auction was won by Alex Johnson, and if it had to go to someone who wasn't me (or someone who would give it to me), Alex would have been my choice. He's found out a bit more about the history of the art and its prior owner. Look through his gallery, he's got some other Mayer work, plus lots of commissions of other artists doing covers for the non-existent "SUGAR & SPIKE #100".  All of them are great, but pay special attention to the Sergio Aragonés and Ramona Fradon ones.

He's also provided a closer look at the editorial note on the artwork.  Here's what we think it says:

1st line: Dear ... [maybe starts with a G?] Eliminate boardwalk
2nd line: Leave BG for sky. Also note
3rd line: Buzzy and Susie are okay in
4th line: position. Show other girls
5th line: All [being] seated and standing
6th line: in BG looking toward Buzzy.and Susie
7th line: Smiling flirtatiously and some just
8th line: Smiling (not as Sheldon
9th line: Interpreted them)

("BG" means "background")

That name on the first line is maddeningly unclear, but I'm pretty sure it starts with a "G".  And as it happens, "Graham Place" is the name of a major artist of the DC teen humour titles of the era, including being attributed with some BUZZY stories and covers (they were almost all unsigned, except for Mayer, so credits are spotty).  Anyone familiar with the styles of the time want to weigh in on whether he drew the BUZZY cover based on Mayer's unused SCRIBBLY cover?

Kevin O'Neill, R.I.P.

Sad to note the passing of Kevin O'Neill, comic book artist known in these parts for Nemesis the Warlock, Marshal Law and The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen, 

First, here's a cross-section of his career in covers:

Now a random look at some interior pages:

Obviously THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN has been his major work for the last two decades, with six volumes in collaboration with Alan Moore.  An interesting series, with O'Neill called upon to do some almost impossible things a few times every issue, and managing to make it look easy.

He did a few stories featuring the character Lobo, the most notable being LOBO CONVENTION SPECIAL #1 [1993] with Keith Giffen (Lobo co-creator with Roger Slifer) and Alan Grant.  

Here's a nice oddity, O'Neill inking a Jack Kirby page, featuring an obscure SHIELD villain of Kirby's creation.

A pair of pages for DC featuring their classic characters.  The Batman splash is an interesting design, and the Bizarro page from WHO'S WHO has some funny stuff in the background.  Rather famously, Alan Moore once talked about a proposal for a Bizarro series he wanted to do with O'Neill, which never came to pass (O'Neill did eventually do a short story with another writer).

Here's a promo piece for another of his major works, Nemesis the Warlock with writer Pat Mills.  Always thought it was a shame O'Neill wasn't able to draw more of the series, though the other artists (especially Bryan Talbot) did a good job carrying on in the world he designed. Definitely my favourite series to come out of 2000 AD.

Here's a nice charity piece he did for AARGH [1988], an anthology inspired by some homophobic laws being passed in the UK in that era.

O'Neill came in a few times on the OMEGA MEN series created by Joe Staton and Marv Wolfman.  The short story "Brief Lives" is an early collaboration with Alan Moore, and a cute story, while the other page is from a Marv Wolfman story, nicely realizing a nightmare alien world.

MARSHAL LAW is another major work, again in collaboration with Pat Mills, starting with an Epic series in 1987 and continuing through various publishers and crossovers for years after. I think that was the first place I saw his work.  A great series, always outrageous, frequently funny and a must read.

Another Alan Moore collaboration was "Tygers", a Green Lantern story featuring Abin Sur (created by Gil Kane and John Broome) which had more ideas per page than a lot of creators come up with in their careers.

417 years ago today...

 Remember, remember

 the fifth of November

The gunpowder treason and plot.

I see no reason

why the gunpowder treason

Should ever be forgot.

(with thanks to David Lloyd, Alan Moore, Alan Grant, Norm Breyfogle, Jack Kirby, Joe Simon and whoever drew BUSTER)