Not From Home, Not From Beyond by Dina Omut (Mini Kus! #138)

Dina Omut’s whimsical entry in this batch of mini kus! is a near-wordless story that  plays like a subverted fairly tale. It’s a dreamlike adventure, with fine lines to the artistic style and intricate details in the early pages with the protagonist being whisked away from her bed, that bring to mind an almost Garden Gnome/Winsor McCay-like fantasy sequence. She travels attempting to find the source of a smell, with beautiful two-page spreads that are revealed smack-dab in the middle of the book, featuring a rocky outcropping and the lair of a serpent. In what we initially think is the final denouement, there’s a Hansel and Gretel-esque abode, but instead of resolution, the quest continues in what seems to be an infinite loop of faux discovery. It remains unclear if the house represents danger or safety, and it remains unclear if there’s ever any resolution – and that’s the point. The quest mirrors the never-ending dichotomy we can all feel and experience, the lure of adventure balanced against returning to the comfort of home, the perpetual paradigm that is life.

Scraps of Memory by Ula Rugeviciute Rugtye (Mini Kus! #137)

Scraps of Memory is an excellent examination of the illusion of nostalgia. It reminds us that the place you remember never truly existed, and attempts to try and hold onto a place and time are fleeting, because by definition that place and time no longer exist. What our memories create are not accurate depictions of reality; they are illusive, ethereal, fleeting, ephemeral, and transitory; the past and future don’t actually exist, only the present, and any attempts to recapture and revisit are fruitless. The story contained is about survival being its own act of rebellion, but also carrying a sense of guilt or regret. The art is depicted with what looks like beautiful watercolor washes, mostly warm earthy tones that have a calming effect, which is a nice tonal fit to family history. While it can be comforting, family history is also so easily lost, the stories and experiences are so rarely captured in writing that is a firsthand account; it’s often spoken history that’s so easily subject to inadvertent alteration. While we may think we still have time to document it and capture it, the end scene reminds us how easily it can just fade away.

Rain in Tears by Mao (Mini Kus! #136)

Rain in Tears begins with an interesting prompt: “What if Blade Runner’s tools of oppression were used for liberation instead?” There’s a manga-esque quality to Mao’s art, with panels packed with pixelated detail, and perspective shots that lend a sense of speed and movement to the proceedings, befitting the iterative biotech advancements the story plays with. The faces of the human figures are depicted in a very interesting way, partially obscured in either shadow or deliberate modification, like techno-organic visages that almost look like advanced Kabuki-style masks. I enjoyed the inclusion of “Medusa” as a sort of sentient computer program/AI monitoring the experiments with the sea creatures. It feels like cutting-edge speculative fiction, as Medusa makes decisions, either deliberate acts or casual omissions, which result in humans getting caught in the crossfire of blame. It all plays like a cautionary tale that counterpoints and bookends the tech question opening the comic with a more natural dilemma to end on: “Is Nature a benevolent mother taking care of us, or a Lovecraftian horror eating itself up?” Rain in Tears is compelling, playing like technological horror, with caustic yellows and pinks in the art alerting you to the dangerous questions that lie within.

The Boy and the Worm by Heather Loase (Mini Kus! #135)

Heather Loase immediately pulls the reader in with thick lines, bright colors, and a meta-aspect to the writing. There are scripting notes like “there is a commotion off-page” that read like a comic book script or movie screenplay, which are fun and not distracting. The reveal of the goings-on inside the barn being a boy who entertains himself with his imagination catalyzed a deep sense of nostalgia for me. I recalled myself playing for hours with G.I. Joe action figures, using modeling clay with my dad to create elaborate castles and fantasy figures, or casting and hand-painting lead soldiers with him from WWII or the American Revolutionary War era to then run elaborate desktop RPG-style war games. There are pros and cons with healthy fantasy play; it’s good for a child’s creativity, but can also foster a sense of loneliness. Loase’s narrative eventually pulls out to reveal the author at work scripting the very book you’re reading. This allows her to depict all of the trials and tribulations, the self-doubt, the impostor syndrome, inherent in all creative types. I literally laughed out loud at her scene involving being bulled at an Italian deli, drafting a faux apology letter to the Kus! publisher, or imagining her work in bargain bins! (This resonated; I knew I’d arrived as a writer when I bought up my own work in 50% off discount bins at San Diego Comic Con to resell at full price at my next signing!). Loase is an excellent cartoonist, using exaggerated caricatures and emotive figures, which is hard to do at small scale, but it’s quite effective here, even in an immersive double-page spread that boasts 27 panels! This is funny and entertaining, but also a meditative treatise on the act and process of creation itself. This is superb comic book making.

Kickstarter Pre-Launch is Live! [Westside]

From the creative minds behind California, Inc., a powerhouse indie team returns with a gripping new crime saga. Writer Justin Giampaoli (Rome West, Starship Down), illustrator Dave Law (The Space Odditorium, Wolf Punks), and Studio 12-7 publisher and variant cover artist Arthur N. Ebuen (Systemic, Disrupted Tales) invite you into the world of Westside.

This 52-page neo-noir crime drama plunges readers into a volatile crossroads where race relations, car culture, and crime collide. Drawing from deeply personal, autobiographical roots, Westside: Volume 1 is both a hard-hitting crime story and a haunting elegy to Justin’s hometown in California’s Central Valley. Bringing the world to life is veteran indie artist Dave Law, whose bold black and white storytelling is layered with dramatic ink washes, and creates a stark, atmospheric landscape where every conversation hides a secret and every choice has consequences.

If you’re a fan of the slow-burn tension of HBO’s The Wire or the gritty crime comics of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips, Westside: Volume 1 will feel right at home on your shelf. Think True Detective, but set in the sun-bleached streets of California’s Central Valley.

The Kickstarter Pre-Launch page is live and has already earned the coveted "PROJECT WE LOVE" badge from the good folks at Kickstarter! CLICK HERE to be notified when the campaign goes live and you can back it! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/arthurebuen/westside-volume-1