We Review “The Human Eating Pumpkins” In Blood & Gourd #2

(If you have not read my review of issue #1 click here )

Blood & Gourd #2 starts off with a brief glimpse into the origin of the human eating pumpkins and then brings you back to where issue one left off. Men, women and children are running for their lives through the fairgrounds and corn fields, desperately trying to avoid having their heads eaten by pumpkins. Tension is high and fuses are short with the Olympia, Washington locals as they try to figure out what’s going on and more importantly how to get to safety.

Jenz Lund and D.H Shultis put together a fast paced action packed issue. The gore is brought up another level, in both a good and disturbing way. Some dark humour and pop culture references highlight the issue well. (I personally liked the man in black reference)

Juan Antonio Ramirez who drew the fantastic cover to issue 1 has taken over interior art duties from interior artist Dave Acosta ( He seems to be still involved with the comic with credit as a consultant on this issue). Changing an artist can dramatically affect the feel of your book and can be risky if fans liked the previous art. I see no reason to be concerned about Juan’s art. it’s not a drastic style change, and it’s most importantly still visually appealing.

 

Fran Gamboa’s colours are not surprisingly on point once again. Good tone and contrast in each panel.

I recognised an improvement to the lettering; it was just something that caught my attention. I know letterers don’t get a whole lot of credit, but without a high quality, letterer it makes reading any comic a chore and reading a comic should never be a chore. Great work JC Ruiz.

This was another enjoyable read. If you enjoyed issue one, you will want to pre-order issue 2.

8/10

---

You can pre-order the print version of Issue 2 for $4.99 USD which is available September 2016 (issue one is available now) at  bloodandgourd.bigcartel.com

Digital versions (same dates apply as print) can be purchased at bloodandgourd.com

 Twitter: @bloodandgourd

Facebook: bloodandgourd

Instagram: @bloodandgourd

Now you might be wondering ok I can get the first two issues but when is issue 3 coming out? I thought of this same question; I got you guys covered! I was talking to Jenz Lund, and he told me issue 3 is written at least but no solid date on the release yet. They are trying to figure out the best way for them to get the 3 issue made. You can guarantee once we find out here at Skatronixxx, we will let you guys know!

While it can be frustrating for a reader haveing to wait extended periods for the next issue, just keep a few things in mind. They don’t have the financial backing of a big publisher, they have to pay for everything up front before they start selling their book, and coordinating a team is not always an easy task. Countless other things go into making a single comic that I don’t have time to go into, just know it’s a lot, and know creators feel the pressure to get them out as fast as possible without sacrificing the quality.

So hopefully that calms a little bit of frustration that you might come across.

Until the next review, happy reading.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weekly Bookette #6 Genre Of The Month (August 2016)

With the start of a new month, the Weekly Bookette returns with a new genre we think is best suited for the last weeks of summer.

Diamond Comic Distributors Good Or Bad For Future Of The Comic Book Industry?

In the 21st century there many companies and industries are still stuck on business models and practices from decades ago that do not make sense in today’s market. The music and film industry have learned the hard way that you can’t beat the internet, you have to work with it. After making ridiculous profits for decades, they now find themselves dying and struggling to keep with the times.

With that said, I asked the same question of an industry I love comic books.

Is Diamond Comic Distributors good or bad for the future of the comic book industry?

That’s a question I had never really thought much about until having a great 2 hour Skype chat with indie creator  James Schumacher ( creator of the indie horror comic Inheritance. Stay tuned to Skatronixxx for news about it later this month) last week. So I thought I’d do some research and see what I’d find.

First of all Diamond Comic Distributors is essentially the only way to get your comics into brick and mortar comic book speciality stores. You might be thinking that statement can’t be right, surely there has to be some competition. No. In fact, Diamond has exclusive distribution deals with comic publishers Marvel, DC, Image, IDW and Dark Horse.

That accounts for more than 75% of the market, and they are the top 5 publishers regarding sales. Now whether you think it’s right or not, that is clearly a monopoly. If you’re a comic book retailer, you are forced to have an account with Diamond because they have control of the most popular titles your customers want.

If you remember In 1998  the first time, the US government was investigating Bill Gates, the former Chairman and Co-Creator of Microsoft for Manopaniolization and engaging in abusive practices it was big news and a serious issue at the time. The only one who can step in and say hey you’re creating a monopoly were going to investigate you is the government.

I get that the comic book industry is not even a concern to the US government and that the tech industry has a bigger effect on the economy, but the comic book industry is a billion dollar industry and it affects the lives of people. Are there more pressing issues at the moment? Absolutely, but isn’t breaking the law or the likely hood that it has been broken worth being looked into? At the end of the day, it affects the arts, creatives, and small business owners, which economies desperately need right now.

The next question that arises is, was it unfair of diamond to secure over 75% of the market with exclusive distribution contracts? Yes and no. On the one hand, Diamond came into the game in the early 80’s as a start-up that was the competition to marvels recently bought distributor Heros World in the early 90’s. At the time comic shops had to have two accounts which became confusing due to the different policies and discounts of each company. Once Diamond landed the exclusive contracts with DC, Image and Dark Horse, Marvel realised there was no point haveing their distribution company and would eventually sign an exclusive deal with Diamond. In a capitalistic market, you can’t blame them (even though it’s a prick move) for going from startup to full-fledged powerhouse in the industry.

On the other hand your the king of the mountain, you have no reason to change when there is no threat. I’m going to use the pro wrestling industry as an example. When WWE Chairman Vince Mcmahon bought the WCW and ECW in the early 2000’s his mainstream competition was eliminated. Only a few years prior there was an explosive era in wrestling (referred to as the Attitude Era in WWE) WWE and WCW were in a rating war. Each week the promotions would try to top each other which made for some of the best entertainment and storylines in pro wrestling history. Once Vince bought out WCW, the excitement and creativity slowly began to die and after only a couple years it was a joke. They resorted to competing with themselves by having a draft for wrestlers to join one of there two tv shows Raw and Smackdown. They then went to PG for their content which also hurt, and they were never the same. With no legitimate competition and no other perspective to the industry to challenge him, Vince, effectively damaged his own business.

Competition is always good, for industries, right? Is it okay for comic book distribution? It’s complicated. With the profit margins so tight for everyone involved the addition of competition, in this case, might raise the already inflated prices of comic books. Printing a comic is not cheap, and is what eats the majority of your profits. I have heard of some mainstream creators on Twitter say that single issues aren’t viable anymore and that we should just produce trades. This idea makes sense to me; it would reduce costs and save space for purchasers, but the single issues especially the variant covers would be missed, though.

I’m not sure how accurate the numbers are regarding 2016, but these were from a few years ago and should give you an idea how the profit of the comic is divided between the retailer, diamond and the creator.

 So the average comic is about $3.99. About $1.59 goes to the creator; $1.99 goes to the retailer, and the remainder goes to Diamond. Keep in mind especially for indie creators that diamond does not pay you in advance. So you have to have the money either saved up or borrowed to pay for your print run. Once the creator gets paid (30 days later) the majority of the profit made off the comic goes to recovering your printing cost leaving little to pay yourself and any of your team that you may owe money. Retailers also have the risk of ordering too much of a particular book and are stuck sitting on product that isn’t moving, as diamond rarely accepts over order returns, which can hurt the retailer’s profits a lot. Diamond makes a profit with no risk to the company at all.

There have been mixed reports on the customer service quality of Diamond, as is the case with every companies customer service. There are always good, and bad experiences told in person, and online, deciphering which are accurate and which are exaggerated or flat out wrong is tough. I have read and heard from retailers books being delivered in a horrible condition to stores. Diamond states on their site that their comics will be delivered in “mint condition.” I’m sure now and then that’s unavoidable, but the health of comics is important the retailer and the customer. It’s hard to sell a comic with bent corners or edges; it also makes the rest of the rack look bad. Collectors are also particular about the condition of comics for grading and resale purposes.

If you’re fortunate enough to get your comic into one of the top 5 publishers, the Diamond process is a little easier with publishing staff taking care of things or guiding you through the process. If you are an indie creator, it’s a challenge to get a deal with Diamond. You have already either pitched to an indie publisher or have created your publishing company and now you’re looking to test the direct market and play alongside the big dogs. You now have to convince a team at Diamond that your book is going to be worth them putting you in there all extensive Previews catalogue. If they like, you then have to sell your comic to them at a 60% discount off the cover price, and you are usually responsible for shipping costs from their distribution centre.

The sales statistics provided on Diamonds website I’m not inclined to trust 100% again they are the only player in the game, and I wasn’t impressed with the old look of their site. I also noticed the lack of conversation about whether Diamond is good or not by both indie and mainstream creators. I assume talking about this issue could hurt your relationship with the only major distributor available. So I understand wanting to be silent or biting your tongue. It’s a tough game and creators and employees in the industry all have responsibilities and loved ones to look after. It’s still somewhat surprising; not much is being said, and It undoubtedly affects everyone.

So is Diamond right for the future of the comic book industry? I don’t personally think it is. I also don’t know what the solution is. Thanks to Kickstarter it’s shown the industry you don’t need Diamond to reach a broad audience. Some Kickstarter campaigns have outsold Marvel and DC titles by 10’s and even 100’s of thousands. So perhaps the future is crowd funding and the direct market will eventually implode over time?

I’m no expert on this issue; I just thought it’s worth talking about. With all the information available in the information age, we have so much that it’s nearly impossible to decipher what’s legitimate and what’s not. There always seems to be substantial information to prove any viewpoint. It used to be you just had to check the date of the study or statistics, not so much these days; there is no regulation what so ever on the internet regarding the accuracy of posted information.

I don’t see there being a simple solution to this problem. The fact that it’s not a big issue in the industry today is quite disturbing. I get the mentality that it’s been this way for years, and it’s worked for the past few decades. Like the music and film industry though is Diamond going to have a rude awakening when sales start to dwindle and comics released outside of the direct market start to be more viable and frankly the better option for quality? Something needs to change, but determining that requires the veterans of the industry to come together and discuss that.

Questions? Opinions? Post in the comments below.

 

Steven Universe Summer Adventures Week 2

Halfway through the “Steven Nuke” and the episodes are getting more and more awesome each day. So before we get to see the awesome episodes of next week (one including the long awaited introduction of Bismuth), lets recap last week’s big five shall we?

Weekly Bookette #5 July Bestsellers

Book Popularity is primarily measured by how much they sell, and here at the weekly Bookette we would like to show you the best books of July 2016:

The Skatronixxx Shop Is Now Live!

Here at Skatronixxx.com we are proud to announce that our shop is now live! Yes that’s right you can now get the very coolest gear ranging from t-shirts to hoodies to mugs and more designed by myself and support our site too. As all profits are 100% re-invested back into the site this is a real good chance for you to help us shape the future of the site and look pretty damn cool in the process 🙂

You can view the site and our full range by either clicking here or by clicking on the shop link on our homepage.

Also as I’m nice I’ve attached a slideshow below so you can get a sneak peak at some of our designs, with new designs to be added on a continual basis, be sure to keep on checking out the shop for the hottest new gear!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

 

WWE BATTLEGROUND Preview:

Tonight is the long-awaited WWE PPV Battleground 8pm Eastern on the WWE Network. Taking place live from the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. I am super excited for this match card based on the fact it is going to determine the future of the WWE. The brand split has raised many questions with the recent WWE Draft. Personally I see many good and bad things that come out of this but we will only know by the end of the tonight. Let’s preview the matches that will change the WWE Universe!!

Kickoff Show
Usos vs Breezango
This is going to be a warmup match for the crowd piling in, in what usually is a good energetic scene in the Verizon Center. Breezango to me has a huge upside in the long run. We haven’t seen much of the Usos on Raw and Smackdown lately so it’ll be interesting if this is just another match or they will actually make them competitive again in the tag team division. Not a bad match from my view but in today’s society nobody has the patience to appreciate the work in a good match on paper.

Highlight Reel with Chris Jericho Featuring Randy Orton
I am a little confused as to why this is even on the PPV. Maybe we will see Brock Lesnar interference or Randy Orton possibly putting Chris Jericho through a table just to get the crowd on his side. I am not too interested in this segment even though Randy Orton is one of the better wrestlers in the company today. A waste of time to fill space is what comes to mind.

New Day vs Wyatt Family
Unfortunately this feud could have been so epic but again WWE had to kill it with the recent WWE Draft. After having a great segment at the Wyatt Family compound, New Day will be staying together with the Wyatts breaking up after this match. I am a huge Bray Wyatt fan and you just wish he would get the push he deserves already. Maybe Bray turns against his family and destroys everyone after the match? That is the only way this would be interesting. Another match where the outcome won’t matter at all unless they doing something dramatic.

Becky Lynch vs Natalya
Becky Lynch and Natalya are two of the most talented and well equipped female wrestlers today. Not giving Natalya any love and Becky switching partners every month pushes them to the bottom of the barrel which they do not deserve. This clash should have been written better with a more dramatic storyline then another partner who turned on Becky. Natalya and Becky Lynch will put on a better match than expected as long as the WWE gives them a decent amount of time for their segment.

Charlotte & Dana Brooke vs Sasha Banks & Mystery Partner
The big question since this match was announced is who is going to be Sasha’s partner? Obviously everyone in the world wants it to be Bayley, but WWE does have a tendency to go against the people just to prove whose in control. I have heard names like Eva Marie, Carmella, and even Nikki Bella. With the crowd expecting Bayley anybody who comes out will get booed out of the gym unless it is Bayley. The only other name I can think of to get some sort of recognition is Asuka. Asuka injured Dana Brooke in NXT so there is some history there and is arguably the best female wrestler in the company. I’ll be biting my nails like everyone else until we have the answer to, who is Sasha Banks’ mystery partner?

Kevin Owens vs Sami Zayn
I can write 100 pages on why this match is going to be amazing. With the move sets and history these best friends have on the indy scene, this will be your match of the night. A rivalry that we all wished would last forever. Crowds have ironically chanted “fight forever” when these two square off. Kevin Owens is a genius in terms of mic skills and in-ring psychology. Sami Zayn is your perfect underdog to get behind and root for considering all the injuries he has been through.I am a huge fan of Sami and I will be on the edge of my seat this whole match, unless of course WWE lets somebody win by DQ or interference which would cause a riot at the Verizon Center.

Cena, Enzo & Big Cass vs The Club
Enzo and Big Cass shockingly joined John Cena in the fight versus AJ Styles, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson. Enzo and Cass have a great gimmick going and to pit them with John Cena shows that the people backstage are clearly high on them. Another segment which should be entertaining and might even be a good idea to start the show with given the mic skills from almost every wrestler in this match. Is it going to be #BeatUpJohnCena day or The Club turning SAWFT after the match concludes? The future is foggy for The Club after being split up by the WWE Draft. Another match I believe will be fun and exciting for the fans.

United States Championship
Rusev vs Zack Ryder
Rusev and Zack Ryder have been forced to compete against each other in the weirdest way. I can’t even remember how this feud started to be honest. I am a fan of Zack Ryder and was happy for him with his big IC win at WrestleMania. Nobody wants to see Rusev, they all want to see Lana, which we have had a small taste of with her in-ring abilities. So we don’t really know how good she is. This match will be a low point for me with Rusev most likely retaining the United States Championship with his infamous “Rusev Crush.” A good time to take a bathroom break or even play Pokemon Go!

Intercontinental Championship
The Miz vs Darren Young
A rush of energy ran through my body when Darren Young signaled for the CrossFace Chicken Wing last week! Bob Backlund and Darren Young are entertaining whether your an old school fan or not. The Miz has been the same gimmick for years and Maryse is a nice addition. It would be funny if Maryse and Bob somehow got into it distracting Miz and Darren Young coming away with the victory! Once again WWE won’t give the fans what they want unless their investors agree. So another match which could have the potential to be really good but a Miz win with a distraction by Maryse seems to be the consensus like we have seen 1000 times.

WWE Championship
Dean Ambrose vs Seth Rollins vs Roman Reigns
Whether you like it or not this is the match everyone has wanted since The Shield broke up. “The Man” against “The Guy” against “The Dude.” Personally I think it was a little to premature to do it this earlier but everyone will be looking forward to this. Former Shield buddies with injuries plaguing almost every member up until this point. A match which should have been saved for a WrestleMania opportunity and a little bit better of a build up. Who is going to be the victor? Was the Roman Reigns suspension for Adderall a work? (Find out HERE with an article written by Mr. Skatronixxx himself) Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose work magic segments together and will always come through entertaining in my opinion. Another possibility in this match is we can see some type of tag teaming back and forth between the 3 former Shield members. A match everyone will be glued to the television for in hopes of something spectacular happening. I can’t see this match failing in any way, but if it does I will be extremely disappointed and it will kind of be a turn-off with the let down of the recent WWE Draft. Come on WWE, don’t fail your beloved WWE UNIVERSE Tonight!

The Orphan Black SN4 Blooper Reel Is Released

With the serious tone set up by the show, it is kind of refreshing to see our favorite characters goofing off, as opposed to them usually escaping death (and in some cases causing it).

‘A Monster Calls’ Trailer Is Released

 

A Monster Calls, by Patrick Ness, is one of my all-time favorite books EVER. And last Friday, we got to see the incredibly awesome movie trailer (video below).

Steven Universe Summer Adventures Week 1

One week down and three more to go!

This is a recap of all the events that took place during the first week of the Summer of Steven event. So, let us break this recap down by episode shall we?