From: isaac@cats.ucsc.edu (Isaac Truder)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
Subject: Re: Faust, Crow and Springheel Jack
Date: 20 Nov 92 06:53:14 GMT
Organization: University of California; Santa Cruz
NNTP-Posting-Host: am.ucsc.edu


 > I'm always on the look out for good books to try and I was wondering
 > if  anyone has read and would recommend either Faust, the Crow or
 > Springheel  Jack.  The latest ads in CBG from Rebel Studios looks
 > very intriquing so  I'm curious about anything else that they put
 > out also. 

Rebel Studios have a good attitude about the type of material they want to
put out (GOOD material, and stuff that a lot of other publishers wouldn't
want to touch), but they have one problem -- they come out only when they
feel they're ready to.  None of the titles come out on a regular basis.
FAUST has been coming out about once a year for the past few issues, though
they have been reprinting the old issues in new Rebel Studios editions
(they were originally published by Northstar) with different covers and
some supplementary material.  But don't ever mention their irregular
schedule to them if you meet them; you'll get a whole long speech about
quality artwork taking time, and this being ART and not some superhero
comic and blah blah blah.  I found myself repeating over and over, "I
appreciate you want to do your best work.  All I want to know is whether
or not your comics are going to come out on a regular basis?"  But I
never got a straight answer.  I took that as a "no".

Not really a big deal if you're not impatient, though, because they Do
put out good work.  If you're into graphic sex and violence, the nature
of art and of good and evil, Satanism, gore, and violent anti-heroes,
then do get FAUST.  There is no other comic like it being published,
period.  As I said, the new issues come out once in a blue moon, but
the reprints are coming fairly regularly now.

SPRING-HEEL JACK just ended, but they are supposed to be bringing out a
new series.  What commentary this title got usually said that the writing
was its greatest strength.  The art is acceptable too, but this is mostly
a good story presented in a readable style.  FAUST is more of a graphic
novel, and its writing style often will leave you lost and confused before
you can take in more of the big picture.

I haven't read the CROW, and I didn't know Rebel was putting it out either.
I have heard of it, but it doesn't seem like my kinda thing.

Rebel also publishes DOG, a hard edged sci-fi comic by Joe Vigil, the
brother of acclaimed FAUST illustrator Tim Vigil.  Joe's art seems to me
to be mostly derivative of Tim's and lacking in basic drawing skills,
and the story he wrote for FRITZ WHISTLE, a backup feature for FAUST that
has recently been turned into its own comic by Northstar, was juvenile
to say the least.  I was thinking of checking this one out 'cause I've
seen some issues in the 50 cent bins here, but I'm not expecting much.

Another title is DARK STAR, which seems to be mostly a standard epic
sci-fi type piece.  And the last title I can think of is RAW MEDIA MAGS,
a hard-edged anthology magazine that Rebel puts out, though I think it
comes in about as irregularly as all their other titles.
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc