Digital Strips Episode 230 – Review – Molly and the Bear w/ Guest Co-Host Brock Heasley

We’re kicking off Digital Strips Guest Co-Host Week with a man who needs no introduction, but gets one anyways: Brock Heasley!

Though I do a terrible job of it on the podcast, I will gladly link to all of Brock’s online work, a portfolio that is sure to grow exponentially over the next few years. Watching his depth and creativity emerge since The Superfogeys began has been a joy, one that is now quickly and easily possible through the joy of delivering comics via the Internet.

If you like introspective thoughts behind the creation of a work of art and conversations with those who craft these stories, I hope you will at least be entertained by my attempt. After Thee Oh Sees take us to the break with their guitar-riffin’ romp, “Crack In Your Eye” (23:00), it’s time to get to what Digital Strips does best: a review.

The strip, and yes, it is very much a comic strip, that Brock and I took a look at exudes a timeless feel that is as deceptively simple as it is intelligent in the way it appeals to the kid in all of us.

Comic strips rarely have the life that Molly and the Bear does, but coming from a seasoned professional who has worked on the very best that Pixar (culling from our childhood dreams since Toy Story first dropped into our laps) has to offer, we’d expect nothing less. Truly, the characters in this strip look like they’ve jumped right off of a storyboard sequence for their next animated short.

Along the way, Brock mentions another children’s comic artist that brings incredible life to everything he touches, Mike Kunkel, most specifically his childhood daydream adventure:

It’s interesting having two artists of the visual leaning working on the critique and Brock comes up with some insights which are details that I wouldn’t have given a second thought about. It’s deep, it’s fun, and it’s well worth a listen or two.

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Zuda Comics Is No More, Some Titles To Continue In Digital Format ~A~ Tweet Thread of the Day Extra

The winds of change have been blowing in Zuda’s direction ever since the competition site decided to drop the competing clause and just become a home for digital creators. Then, DC Comics announced a digital initiative that would see their comics appear on the PSP, PSN, iPhone, iTouch, and iPad. This change seems to have whipped up a hurricane that has decimated the ZudaComics.com domain itself, which will now be shuttered.

It’s still unclear as to which comics will survive this swath of destruction, though you can bet the award winners will make the move. One comic that won’t be migrating to greener (alternate?) pastures is Brock Heasley’s Monsterplex, the winner of the February competition. The following thread explains loosely why, including the heart-breaking reaction to the news straight from someone directly affected by the culling:

brockheasley Well, I just got the worst news of the year. about 1 hour ago via TweetDeck

Seriously, this is disappointment on the level you would not believe. about 1 hour ago via TweetDeck

DavidGallaher And the started so nicely too about 1 hour ago via Twitter for iPhone

RobertThePlant @brockheasley you OK? about 1 hour ago via Twitter for iPhone in reply to brockheasley

DavidGallaher Oh … Thursday. You started so nicely. about 1 hour ago via Twitter for iPhone

brockheasley @RobertThePlant I’ll be fine. And everyone will know what’s up soon enough. Just waiting for someone else to break the story. about 1 hour ago via TweetDeck

brockheasley @DavidGallaher Not you too though, right? about 1 hour ago via TweetDeck in reply to DavidGallaher

DavidGallaher @brockheasley: no, but e-mail me at David @ davidgallaher dot com about 1 hour ago via Twitter for iPhone

ValerieDOrazio Oh good gravy. That’s all I’m going to say. Sheesh. about 1 hour ago via Echofon

brockheasley Hey, remember #MONSTERPLEX ? Good comic, right? http://bit.ly/cwpHxX #zuda about 1 hour ago via TweetDeck

JohnnyZito Take a good. long. look. http://BlackCherryBombshells.com & http://LaMorteSisters.com about 1 hour ago via web Retweeted by tonytrov

mdevito Very proud of my #MONSTERPLEX co-creators @brockheasley and Dave for what they accomplished. http://bit.ly/cwpHxX #zuda 39 minutes ago via Echofon Retweeted by brockheasley

nortoons I’m very sorry to hear about DC canning so many great Zuda artists and writers. Especially my city-mate, @brockheasley. Rough break 🙁 37 minutes ago via web

zudacomics Zuda: The Collective – The Future of Zuda: http://zuda.blog.dccomics.com/2010/07/01/the-future-of-zuda/ 27 minutes ago via API

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