Search Results for: "chris mills"

Mills, Burchett, Gonzales, Staton: 3 Kinds of Awesome

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Chris Mills currently writes three free weekly webcomics.

Three.

Free.

Weekly Webcomics.

I suppose I should have added, “Awesome!” but you know I wouldn’t be posting about them if they weren’t really good.

Grave Digger is my favorite of the bunch.  Of course Grave Digger is one of my all-time favorite comics [let’s not limit this to just crime comics].  Rick Burchett provides the art and it is perfect.  Mills and Burchett.  ‘Nuff said.

Perils on Planet X is written by Mills with art by Gene Gonzales.  If you’re a fan of Flash Gordon,  John Carter: Warlord of Mars and good comics, you’ll dig Perils on Planet X.  You can take that to the bank.

Femme Noir features the team of Mills [writer] and Joe Staton [artist] taking readers down the dark streets of Port Nocturne to follow the adventures of a mysterious female vigilante.

Gravedigger: The Scavengers and The Predators

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If you’re a fan of great crime comics, you should be reading Gravedigger by Chris Mills and Rick Burchett.  I’ve been singing the praises of Gravedigger since before it was released.  I knew from the premise and with Chris and Rick at the helm that Gravedigger would be a winner.

And it is.

Gravedigger is currently running as a free webcomic.  Their first story, The Scavengers is up and completed.

The second Gravedigger adventure, The Predators, has just started.

Both contain adult language and situations (it is a crime comic after all) and so they are not for kids!

Oh, and you may “recognize” one of the thugs… and I don’t mean the guy that looks like Lee Marvin.

Gravedigger: The Cover That Never Was

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Don’t you dig this Gold Key cover mock-up for Gravedigger?

Chris Mills explains how the faux cover came about:

I had so much fun mocking up that Gold Key Comics-styled Femme Noir cover yesterday, that last night I dusted off the terrific, painted Gravedigger: The Scavengers variant cover by my friend Fred Harper, and knocked out this retro/faux Gravedigger piece. There’s something kinda subversive about seeing the squeaky-clean Gold Key trade dress & logo on this hardboiled title…

Don’t forget that Gravedigger: The Scanvengers by Chris Mills and Rick Burchett is running as a free weekly webcomic.  Don’t trust me when I say that it is better than most comics on the web or newstands.

It is, but I’d prefer that you check it out yourself.  Then help spread the word.

The Gravedigger Challenge

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Gravedigger by Chris Mills and Rick Burchett is the best web comic going.  Heck, drop the web comic distinction because Gravedigger is one of the best comics of any kind regularly published these days.

If you’re a fan of crime stories, Lee Marvin, or great comics [as in amazing writing and art] then you should be reading this free web comic. [Keep in mind that Gravedigger is not for children since adult language and situations sometimes appear — it is a crime comic after all.]

I’d like to see Gravedigger and the talents of Chris Mills and Rick Burchett reach a wider audience.  So, I’ve come up with the Gravedigger Challenge.

Give Gravedigger a try and if you don’t like it, I owe ya a Coke [or Diet Coke, if you prefer]. If you do like Gravedigger, you owe me nothing.

I would appreciate it though, especially if you like Gravedigger, if you would help spread the word. Send out a Tweet, a Facebook / blog post or, simply tell a friend!

 

Z-View: HeroesCon 2013

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That’s the self-titled Corduroy Mafia at Heroes Con 2013.  From left to right we have Brian Jones, me, Gene Gonzales, John Nacinovich and Royce Thrower. How we gave ourselves the name Corduroy Mafia is a tale for another time.  Instead I present my HeroesCon 2013 summary.

The Drive Up:

Doralya and I left Friday morning.  We planned to leave earlier, but a late start got us on the road at about 5am.  Traffic was terrible, two different wrecks slowed us down and it rained almost the entire way.  From now on, we plan to drive up the night before the con starts.

The hotel:

We usually stay at the Weston, but this year it was the Hampton Inn Charlotte – Uptown.  What a great hotel!  It’s super-clean with the friendliest staff I’ve ever seen.  Free shuttle service and free breakfast made the stay even better. I’d definitely stay here again!

Main Goal of the Show:

My main goal was to meet (for the first time) and get a sketch from Rick Burchett.  I’m happy to report that Rick is as nice as he is talented — yeah, he’s really that friendly!  I hoped to get Rick to draw Jack Carter (Stallone) with Chris Mills/Rick Burchett’s character, Grave Digger (Lee Marvin).  Rick said he could make that happen!

I then got Greg Rucka to autograph two of my Atticus Kodiac novels.  I’ve been a Rucka fan since before he started working in comics — and was pleased when he teamed with Rick Burchett on Lady Sabre.  Eric Newsome was at the table as well.  Eric assists with the Lady Sabre website and more.  Since I am a backer of their Lady Sabre Kickstarter, I knew the password to get an advance look at a Lady Sabre script!  Eric also reminded me that he had done a Stallone sketch for the SZ!  It was great talking to Rick, Greg and Eric.

Books signed:

  • My original hardcover Berni Wrightson’s A Look Back
  • My first edition Chandler by Steranko
  • Two of my Greg Rucka Atticus Kodiac novels
  • Road Trip by Sean Murphy.  

All books autographed — mission accomplished.

Sketches:

  • Dave Wachter (mini-head sketches): Lords of Flatbush and Bullet to the Head
  • Drew Moss (busts): Get Carter and Rocky
  • Jerry Gaylord: Get Carter and Demolition Man
  • Mitch Gerads (head sketch): Expendables 2
  • Mike Torrance: several sketch cards
  • Gene Gonzales (head sketch): Get Carter
  • Manny Aguilera: Over the Top and Demolition Man (surprise gifts from LittleJohn312 & Patricia), Get Carter.
  • Rick Burchett is going to do my piece from home.

Panels:

  • The Inkwell Awards (and keeping with tradition, LittleJohn312 and Patricia joined me).
  • Jim Steranko (again with LJ & P) – Steranko is a charmer and captivated the crowd with his great stories!
  • Crime Panel: Greg Rucka (Whiteout), Jason Latour (Loose Ends), and Jason Aaron (Scalped) interrogated by Vito Delsante.  

It’s only been in the last several years that I’ve made a real effort to attend panels.  Without a doubt, they have made the con experience even more fun.

Drink and Draw:

Because of weather it was held in the lobby of the Hilton.  Jack the Radio provided live music — they’re good!  The place was packed, but the Hilton staff was very accommodating and brought out more seats. Patricia, Doralya and I enjoyed watching and messing with LittleJohn312 as he attempted to win some art — and he did!

HeroesCon Auction:

As always the auction was a fun night.  LittleJohn312 won a Wizard of Oz piece (as well as the companion piece that was in next day’s auction).  The move to have professional auctioneers is helpful, but Alison’s presence as the Mistress of Ceremonies was missed.

Kickstarter:

Some HeroesCon guests had Kickstarter projects that I had backed.  I made sure to swing by and congratulate each on their Kickstarter success:

  • Greg Rucka / Rick Burchett with Lady Sabre
  • Jeremy Haun with Bad Karma  (I missed seeing Alex Grecian, B. Clayton Moore & Seth Peck)
  • Eric Powell with The Goon movie

Meals:

The biggest surprise is that we only ate at Fuel once.  It was good to keep that tradition alive, but not over do it.  The best meal we had was at Fujo Bistro — we will definitely hit that place again next year!  Bojangles and Einstein’s Bagels also got our business.  Sadly we did not make it to Mert’s.

The Drive Home:

We left about 5:30 and arrived home at about 12:30am.  Traffic and rain were both light and we were exhausted, but in a good way.

In closing:

HeroesCon this year was huge with twice the floor space as previous years.  The wider aisles made movement easier.  There were also additional sections this year with chairs and tables for con guests to sit, eat and visit.  The bigger painting area was also a plus.

I’ve had to rewrite this sentence several times, because I come off like a real fanboy trying to say how “cool” it was to meet Rick Burchett and Steranko.  Let’s just say it was great and leave it at that.

Seeing old friends and meeting new ones is always a fun part of the show.  I won’t try to list them all because invariably I would leave some out.

Thanks to Shelton and his crew for another great HeroesCon — see everyone next year!

Grave Digger Should be a TV Series

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It’s hard to believe that I’ve been plugging Grave Digger by Chris Mills and Rick Burchett since 2004!  That’s when the first issue of what could have been a one-shot comic was released.

So who is the professional thief known as “DIgger” McCrae?  Here’s how Chris Mills describes him…

  • Hard, brutal and ruthless – with a weakness for hot women and cold cash – McCrae is the consummate criminal. Whether it’s an armored car hijacking, bank robbery, art heist or a kidnapping, you can depend on “Digger” to handle every obstacle and double-cross with professional cool and a complete lack of conscience. And that “Gravedigger” nickname? Well – don’t ever call him that to his face, or you’ll find out where that moniker came from… the hard way.

If you missed out, you’re in luck, because Mills and Burchett are running the original comic in the form of a free weekly web comic.  Before you click over, keep in mind that there is occasionally adult language and violence.

After the original comic runs, Mills and Burchett plan to run a new adventure and then hopefully put out a print edition.  I am hoping that they will kickstart a hardcover edition with extras.  That’d make me very happy.

Of course a Grave Digger tv series would also be nice.

The Return of Gravedigger by Mills & Burchett

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One of my all-time favorite crime comics, Gravedigger, makes a return on February 4th, 2013.

That’s right, Gravedigger by Chris Mills and Rick Burchett is making a comeback, and in a big way.  Gravedigger will begin re-appearing as a web comic with weekly updates.

Mills & Burchett will start by serializing the original Gravedigger story, The Scavengers, and then will move on to a new Gravedigger tale, The Predators.  The plan is to then collect both storylines into one graphic novel.

Kickstarter, anyone?

This news has absolutely made my day, and if you love great comics, my guess is it has made yours as well.

Mike Hammer Making a Comeback!

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Earlier this week, Deadline.com posted that Warner Bros. had picked up the rights to Mickey Spillane’s Mike Hammer.  Although it hasn’t been decided whether Hammer will be turned loose in a modern day setting or the film will be a period piece, I think that either way we’re in for a potentially fun movie. 

The real question is, who to play Mike Hammer?  If they’re not going with an unknown, then I’d suggest Karl Urban.  I’ll be interested to see who others (especially Chris Mills) would have step into the role.  Your thoughts? 

Oh, and while we’re making suggestions, might I suggest that Armand Assante’s outing as Mike Hammer in I, the Jury be brought out on dvd?

Lady Sabre & The Pirates of the Ineffable Aether

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Isn’t that the coolest poster?  It’s for a new web comic called Lady Sabre & The Pirates of the Ineffable Aether.  Although I’m not a huge fan of web comics, I’m definitely on board for this one.  Created by author, Greg Rucka and artist, Rick Burchett [two of my favorites], Lady Sabre & The Pirates of the Ineffable Aether is going to be a wild ride.  Here’s how the Greg and Rick describe it…

  • Swords are cool. People fighting with swords are cool. Airships are cool. Cowboys are cool. Pirates are cool. Clockwork men are cool. Smart, savvy, witty women are very cool. Laconic gunslingers? Totally cool. Steampunk? Frosty.
  • That’s what Lady Sabre & the Pirates of the Ineffable Aether is, that’s what it’s about. The adventures of the Lady Seneca Sabre and those she meets along the way as she travels the Sphere. Who she fights, who she foils, who she befriends. It’s about adventure and romance and excitement and, to paraphrase the great Zaphod Beeblebrox, “really wild things.”
  • And most of all, what it’s supposed to be? It’s supposed to be fun.

Lady Sabre & The Pirates of the Ineffable Aether are back every Tuesday and Thursday with a new comic and additional content throughout the week!

[A tip o’ the top hat to Chris Mills]

Hammer Time!

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My guess is that several regular ZONERS (especially Bill Black and Chris Mills) will end up with the recently announced Art of Hammer book.  It’ll feature the poster art from the Hammer horror films.  It’s currently on sale for less than twenty buck which is a pretty scary deal.

Hawaii 5-0: Tweaked and Ready to Book ‘Em

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The other day Chris Mills posted that there is a new version of Hawaii 5-0 coming to CBS.  The new show stars Alex O’Laughlin, Daniel Dae-Kim, Scott Caan and Grace Park.  The new  Hawaii 5-0 has tweaked a few things and looks interesting enough for me to give it a shot.

The one thing that I wish they hadn’t messed with was the theme song.  Nothing beats the original version when it comes to Hawaii 5-0.  Don’t believe me?  Chris Mills posted the new theme along with the original [and even a third riff on it for a show that never made it to series].