Staff Picks for February 10: The Eltingville Club

The Eltingville Club hardcover debuts Feb. 10 from series creator Evan Dorkin. If you're familiar with his collaboration on Beasts of Burden with Chicago-based artist Jill Thompson, you know that Dorkin is a fine storyteller.

In his Eltingville Club series, Dorkin examines the darker side of comics fandom. The ugly stereotypes that perfectly describe some real fans are his playground. You've met them at your local comics shop, you've smelled them in line at your favorite con, and you've been appropriately appalled at their antics. And in Dorkin's hands, these archetypes are the heartbeat of a comic that uses them in the finest tradition of underground comix--to make us take a hard, humorous, and sometimes uncomfortable look at ourselves.

The Eltingville Club hardcover from Dark Horse Comics is my staff pick this week for Broken Frontier, and you can read the full preview HERE.

Staff Picks for February 3: Sherlock Holmes Crime Alleys

Sherlock Holmes is a longtime favorite, so it was a no-brainer to select Dark Horse Comics' newest release featuring the world's greatest detective. Sherlock Holmes: Crime Alleys is the third installment from writer Sylvian Cordurie in his Holmes series, and I hope it's a sign that Dark Horse will make mysteries a priority. The company does them so very well, that in their post-Star Wars environment, I hope Dark Horse stretches out and tackles all facets of mysteries. I know a whole noir lineup would be too much to ask for, but why not? I'm asking.

For my full preview of Sherlock Holmes: Crime Alleys, go HERE.

Staff Picks for Jan. 27: Image Comics

The Fuse #17 hits shelves this week.

I took a bit of a departure from my normal weekly Staff Pick for Broken Frontier. There were a few issue number 1 comics debuting this week, and my fellow staffers wrote really nice previews for them. But as I looked at the list of new releases, I realized that this was going to be a very expensive week for me--several of my favorite ongoing titles from Image Comics were releasing new books this week, and the new issue of Peanuts was coming as well. Yep, I have a lot of books waiting in my pull bin at the local comics shop. I can't wait!

Click HERE for the link to my Staff Pick. If you haven't checked out those titles, pick up the trades and dive in, you'll thank me later!

Vintage Truck Magazine January Blog

Have you ever seen a Model T Snowmobile? Head to Morrissville, VT, on Feb. 6-7.

My latest post for the Vintage Truck Magazine website is live, and I'm looking at some very interesting cold-weather swap meets this month.

It all starts with the Model T Snowmobile Meet in Morrissville, Vermont, on February 6-7. Yes, there were conversion kits for Model T owners to place the front wheels on skis and surround the back tires with metal chains. Then it moves on to the 44th Annual Auto Parts Swap Meet in Springfield, Ohio on February 7. For fans of older cars, the Peconic Bay Region chapter of the Antique Automobile Club of America will host its 17th Annual Indoor Heated Auto Swap Meet on February 21. And finally, the 51st Annual Greater Milwaukee Area Indoor Winter Swap Meet is in West Bend, Wisconsin, on February 28. The swap is run by the Wisconsin Chapter of the Model A Ford Club of America, and you can bet that after 51 years, this club knows how to host a quality event.

You can read the full article HERE.

And as always, if you have any favorite truck-friendly shows/swaps to share, leave a comment and I'll check it out.

Best Ongoing Series: Saga

Image Comics' Saga won the 2015 Broken Frontier Award for Best Ongoing Series

The Broken Frontier site recently announced the 2015 recipients of the Broken Frontier Awards. I was quite pleased to discover that Saga had won the award for Best Ongoing Series.

I have been reading Saga since issue #1 and have enjoyed every plot twist, turn, and upheaval since those first panels where baby Hazel enters the fray. Series creators Brian K. Vaughan (writer) and Fiona Staples (art) have forged a brilliant genre-bending sci-fi/fantasy action/adventure/family drama/love story for mature audiences that maintains the highest standard for comics storytelling.

It was a pleasure to author the write-up for Saga's award, and you can read it HERE.

Broken Frontier Awards 2015 Announced

The winners of the 2015 Broken Frontier Awards were announced this week.

Greetings, comics fans! The Broken Frontier site has resolved its technical difficulties and is up and running. Thanks for your patience.

Each year, the BF staff creates a list of nominations that reflect the best work in comics. Fans like you and the staffers vote on the winners, which were announced this week. Click HERE to see if your favorites won.

And as always, if you have an indie comic favorite to recommend, leave a comment.

Vintage Truck Magazine, January

This sharp 1966 Ford F-250 caught my eye on a recent road trip. Read more about it by clicking the link below.

My latest blog post is live at Vintage Truck Magazine, click HERE to read it. 

January kicks off swap meet season, and I've previewed four events from around the country sure to be the cure for cabin fever! Get your warm layers ready, find your snow boots, and don't forget a hat, it's going to be a cold trek through some of these popular swaps.

If you have a favorite swap meet, please leave a comment and I'll try to include it in a future installment of the blog.