Magnetic Press Ambassadors Club Magazine 08 - Jul'16

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JULY 2016

Hello, Ambassadors!

We’re ALIVE! I don’t say that in response to this issue being somewhat late (we’ll be right back on track this month with issue 9), but more as a congratulatory statement to ourselves for surviving another Comic-Con! The “busy season” for us has always been June-July-August, as we prepare, execute, then recover from the huge annual geekfest in San Diego. We celebrated our third year exhibiting, and the response was fantastic -people really seem to dig what we’re doing! Our unique brand of slick, dynamic visuals and unmatched narrative concepts have really put on some maps (to where, I’m still not sure), and it was such a thrill to meet so many existing fans and make some new converts who hadn’t heard of us before. It was a minor miracle we were able to fit all 35+ titles into a tiny little 10x10’ booth spot (in a great location, I can’t comlain), but we did it. And we got through the week without any trips to the hospital. We may not have taken home any Eisners, but we were honored to be nominated again for the second year in a row. Next year, third time’s a charm, right?

We also spent time with some new, amazing collaborators there, particularly ULISES FARINAS, who is heading up the recently announced new imprint under Magnetic Press -- BUNO PUBLISHING. He’s got some really great books on their slate, starting with Rob Cham’s LIGHT, which we dive into in this very issue! We’ll look at more of what Buno has in store in future months -- it’s gonna be exciting!

This month we also take a look at the new wildlife exploration series of kids’ books by the awardwinning creators of the LOVE series, Frederic Brremaud and Federico Bertolucci -- LITTLE TAILS! This adorable series is bound to capture your heart and spark some childlike wonder when the first two volumes hit shelves in September!

Rounding out this issue is a spotlight on artist FRANCISCO RUIZ VELASCO, who has been making killer comics and blockbuster movie designs for years now. Couple that gallery with dozens of pages of great Sequentialink comics, and this issue should keep you plenty satisfied until next month. 64 pages of visual candy. Hard to believe this is still FREE. Enjoy!

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THIS ISSUE: pg 2..... WELCOME pg 4..... NEW AND NEXT MONTH!

WARSHIP JOLLY ROGER and RE*PRO*DUCT

pg 6..... NEW IN PREVIEWS!

Announcing LITTLE TAILS and LIGHT!

pg 7..... FEATURED INTERVIEW:

Author and artist ROB ChAM discusses his upcoming graphic novel LIGHT, with a gallery of his work, plus a 6-page preview!

pg 27... SHOWCASE:

A look at the new wildlife series for kids, from the award-winning creators of the LOVE series, Frederic Brremaud and Federico Bertolucci: LITTLE TAILS!

pg 29... ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: FRANCISCO RUIZ VELASCO pg 41... SQUINK PRESENTS: BATTLE GODS 2 (pages 12-22) by Francisco Ruiz Velasco pg 52... UNBOUND SAGA (“Help Wanted”) by Mike Kennedy & Cliff Richards. Cover by Steve Pugh! pg 65... WHAT’S IN THE BOX? COVER ART - page from LIGHT, by Rob Cham

“Devil Robot” by Francisco Ruiz Velasco

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IN STORES

THIS MONTH

Warship Jolly Roger

by Miquel Montllo and Sylvain Runberg

In a gritty, star-spanning future, where mankind has colonized planets throughout the galaxy, former Confederation Commander Jon T. Munro was serving a life sentence for a war crime he was forced to commit. When a prison break runs amok, however, he seizes the opportunity to escape with a ragtag team of cons to form a small crew of pirates with one goal in mind: vengeful justice. And the first step in their plan is to steal the battle cruiser he once commanded, a state-of-the-art warship they call “The Jolly Roger”.

BOOK ONE: NO TURNING BACK contains the first two chapters in this visually stunning scifi adventure, with breathtaking artwork by series creator Miquel Montllo and written by Sylvain Runberg (Millennium). This epic tale of space pirates and political intrigue combines the emotional depth and excitement of scifi favorites such as “Battlestar Galactica” and “Starship Troopers”, with a visual style that leaps off the page like an animated feature film.

Get more details at http://www.magnetic-press.com/warship-jolly-roger/

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IN STORES

NEXT MONTH

RE*PRO*DUCT by Wilson, Faerber, and Hopkins

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NEW IN PREVIEWS!

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A CLIMB INSIDE THE MIND OF

ROB CHAM

The announcement of the new BUNO PUBLISHING imprint, curated and guided by noted illustrator/ writer ULISES FARINAS, brought a first look at several new titles by exciting young talent from around the world. First on Buno’s release slate is LIGHT, a wordless graphic novel written and illustrated by Filipino artist ROB CHAM. LIGHT is a wondrous tale of two lone adventurers spelunking through a dangerous cave in search of five jewels that will restore color to the world, told through a sequence of full-page splash illustrations, wtih each page a new panel in their epic journey. The look is unlike any other such book you’re likely to encounter, and we spoke briefly with Rob about it.

YOU HAVE SUCH AN ORIGINAL, SOME MIGHT SAY “MINIMALIST”, STYLE – WHERE DID THIS STYLE COME FROM? WHAT WERE YOUR INSPIRATIONS? When I was in high school, I took art classes on the weekends, a sort of apprenticeship. My old art teacher, Norman, was this really good painter, and he would do this thing with pastels where he would layer them and scratch the top layers off, and it would be this gorgeous etching of different colors blending together and it really gave his pieces this beautiful texture.

He taught me how to, and it sort of stuck with me.

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I came up with Light’s style around 2012. I was freelancing at the time, and one of the usual jobs I’d get was designing shirts. I wanted to figure out how to make something people hadn’t seen before, and was playing around with what I could do with a limited color palette. I kind of remembered that etching and thought about how I could translate that into a digital medium. It looked amazing on black and I kind of wanted to do a story that could utilize that style, and I figured a world in pitch darkness would be suited to it. I wrote the story kind of hoping to use this style.

I was big into Moebius and Jeff Smith, too, and that sort of influenced a lot of the environmental design and linework.

A lot of the character work just had to do with Norwegian cartoonist, Jason (John Arne Sæterøy) and Filipino artist, Manix Abrera being big influences on me, along with Jim Woodring and Chris Onstad.

HOW DID LIGHT COME TO BE?

“Ghibli”

I conceptualized it as a mobile app. The idea I had for it was that the little guy you see on the cover (I haven’t given anyone names, or assigned specific genders because, well, I figured it didn’t really matter) was lost in this darkness. The player had to guide the little guy around collecting small sources of light, it fades gradually, and monsters would come chasing after you, the light would keep them away, and you kind of just try and go on for as long as you could.

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TITLE PAGE:

“In My Head”

THIS PAGE: (clockwise from top left)

“The Amazing Topless Head” “Image Creation” “Headspace” “Free Fall”

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I drew some concept art and that’s all it ever got to until I was contacted by Neonmob. I had done some work for them before. Neonmob is this digital trading card company where you collect art and add it to your collection. They had wanted me to do another set, and I pitched them the idea of a set of cards where you piece together the story as you collect more and more of the set. They had brought up a piece I did with the style of Light, and gears kinda started turning in my head where I figured out the story for it.

I imposed that each card had to be one page, one panel, that way I could play around with composition freely. It also had to be a silent comic, because I didn’t want anyone to miss important details that weren’t mentioned in any text, that they kind of impose some meaning to the art themselves when they slowly piece together what was happening. I kind of ruined my mind for a few months when I was putting it together, making sure the story made sense, that the art could stand on its own, and that it had to not have words. I spent a lot more time planning than actually illustrating the story.

Page from LOST

Rice Boy fan art

YOUR WEBSITE SHOWS SAMPLES FROM A SEQUEL STORY, LOST. WHAT IS THIS ABOUT? LOST came about from this abandoned comic I was doing where I had an idea of two worlds colliding into one another, where one world was on the left page and the other was on the right page. It was going to be completely silent as well, and just sort of rely on visuals to tell the story.

I didn’t intend to ever make a follow up story to LIGHT because here in the Philippines, the comics market isn’t as developed as other countries, so creators who really love the work can only ever make their comics on the side while having day jobs. So it really affects the output where you’d have one volume of one story and the second volume would take years. I always got frustrated when a book I pick up kind of just leaves you on a cliffhanger and the momentum is gone where the next issues or collection takes forever.

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But I wanted to work with Anino Comics, my publisher here, again, and I initially pitched the worlds colliding comic. As a few months passed, I couldn’t really make that comic work because it really didn’t have anything that resonated with me as much as LIGHT, and it really was style over substance where the thing to like about the book is how it played around with breaking the rules of comics. It just didn’t have a heart to it. I kind of then had this idea to repurpose a lot of the ideas of that project into LOST where I had an idea of using the same characters for a completely different story altogether.

LOST takes place after the events of LIGHT with the same characters, but you don’t need to read LIGHT to understand it, I figured I’d have to make it that way given the circumstances of not wanting people here to be turned off from the idea of picking it up because they have to find volume 1 or read a continuation of it.

We join the main characters from LIGHT and they’ve been kind of just hanging out, living together. They’re out on a hunt when they kind of get separated through this wormhole into these different dimensions and the rest of the story is them trying to get back home.

“Escapism”

“Peanut Vendor”

It’s been out since April this year, but I’ve also been posting pages of it online as a webcomic. You can read what pages I’ve posted so far on lost-comic.com

YOU ALSO DO A LOT OF EDITORIAL ILLUSTRATION. WHAT SORT OF PROJECT DO YOU ENJOY MOST? I work with some local publications from here, and I really just hope whenever they contact me for work, that it’s going to be a comic of some sort, one pagers that is. Comics are my favorite medium and I just really want to find any excuse to get paid to make them.

WHAT OTHER STORY PROJECTS HAVE YOU WORKED ON? WHERE CAN FANS FIND THEM?

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Nakauwi Na promo poster Chvrches in Manila promo poster

I’ve been self-publishing for seven years now, just small ashcans and zines of various auto-biographical strips, collaborative comics, but mostly my own slice of life stories and experimental work. (I was really into Adrian Tomine and KC Green at one point and would make stories in that vein) I posted a few that I liked on my site (robcham.me) and you could always just contact me and I might send you some of the rougher stuff I did in college.

Other than that, I’ve done a few propaganda comics for companies trying to make their company appeal to people. Those I still cringe at, and will never share them online.

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON NOW? I’m doing a secretive book project with Ulises Farinas and Erick Freitas. I can’t really reveal much about it yet, but I love working on it. I’m currently sketching up ideas for this new graphic novel I want to do. And that’s about it: More comics. I am happy about how this is turning out.

WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO IN THE FUTURE? Make more comics. Get hired at some capacity to work on animation and video games, some day.

Lolaville promo poster

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“Nothing”

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Read the first 13 pages of the upcoming graphic novel on the following pages! www.MAGNETIC-PRESS.com

PREVIEW PAGES - LIGHT, by Rob Cham

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Read the full story in the LIGHT hardcover coming in September!

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HOT ARTIST SPOTLIGHT:

F. RUIZ VELASCO

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FRANCISCO RUIZ VELASCO IS AN ARtISt’S ARtISt, thE kINd thAt OthER ARtIStS, bOth FRESh ANd ExpERIENCEd, LOOk tO IN AwE FOR hIS dyNAmIC SENSE, hIS VIbRANt ANd VERSItILE StyLE, ANd hIS ImAgINAtIVE ChARACtER, CREAtURE, ANd ENVIRONmENt dESIgNS. hE IS A tRIpLE thREAt thAt CAN NOt ONLy ENVISION A FANtAStIC NEw wORLd, bUt CRAFt A dEEp bACkStORy bEhINd It, ANd thEN pOpULAtE It wIth FULLy-ROUNdEd ChARACtERS. hE hAS pUt thOSE SkILLS tO SOLId gOLd USE, FIRSt IN COmICS, thEN EVENtUALLy IN FILm, CONtRIbUtINg kEy dESIgNS tO mANy OF thE bIggESt bLOCkbUStERS IN RECENt mEmORy. IF yOU’RE NOt ALREAdy FAmILIAR wIth hIS wORk, ChECk OUt thIS gALLERy ANd gEt CAUght Up.

(title page) “Robot and Chica” (this page, bg) “PIMP” (this page, bottom) “Rocket Girl C”

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WHAT WERE YOU INTO AS A CHILD? WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START DRAWING? HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU STARTED TO DRAW A LOT? I REMEMBER ALWAYS DRAWING STUFF JUST FOR FUN, BUT IT WASN’T UNTIL I WAS AROUND 15 OR 16 YEARS OLD WHEN I STARTED TO TRAIN MYSELF INTO DRAWING AT A MORE SERIOUS LEVEL, TRYING TO BE A PROFESSIONAL. A FRIEND OF MINE PUT THE IDEA IN MY MIND ABOUT DRAWING COMICS. I USED TO READ A LOT OF COMICS BUT NEVER REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT DOING THEM AS A LIVING. (above) “Fish Hunt” (below) robot designs for Blur Studios

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“The Bride of Frankenstein” from 30 Nights Project

“Dracula vs Van Helsing Robot” from 30 Nights Project

“Sasquatch Road Warrior” from 30 Nights Project

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WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST BREAK AS A PROFESSIONAL ARTIST? BACK IN THOSE DAYS IN MEXICO, I STARTED TO DO MY OWN INDEPENDENT COMICS AND I THINK ME AND SOME FRIENDS WERE CONSIDERED PROFESSIONALS IN MEXICO EVEN WHEN WE WEREN’T MAKING A LIVING OUT OF IT. WE WERE JUST MAKING ENOUGH MONEY TO PRINT THE NEXT ISSUE. IN THOSE DAYS, I WAS GOING TO SAN DIEGO COMIC-CON EVERY YEAR. I THINK I HAD ALREADY ATTEMPTED LIKE 4 YEARS TO GET A REAL COMIC BOOK JOB, AND I THINK IT WAS IN 2000 WHEN DARK HORSE WAS INTERESTED IN PUBLISHING MY BOOK CALLED “BATTLE GODS,” BUT THE FIRST COMIC BOOK I DID FOR THEM WAS AN ISSUE OF “GHOST,” I DON’T REMEMBER THE ISSUE NUMBER. [ED. NOTE: IT WAS #16-17, “WHEN THE DEVIL DAYDREAMS”]

PREVIOUS PAGE:

“Giant Rocket Frankestein” from 30 Nights Project

THIS PAGE:

(right) “Nuts and Blots” (below) “Robot Dude”

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WHAT COMIC PROJECTS HAVE YOU WORKED ON? I DID 2 ISSUES OF “GHOST” FOR DARK HORSE, AND THEN 9 ISSUES OF “BATTLE GODS,” A COUPLE OF “STAR WARS” AND OTHER SHORT STORIES, I THINK 14 ISSUES OF “LONE WOLF 2100”, 4 OR 5 ISSUES OF MARVEL’S “THUNDERBOLTS,” AND A COUPLE BOOKS FOR HUMANOIDS IN FRANCE. THAT’S WHAT I REMEMBER I MAY BE MISSING SOMETHING. Pages from “HAWKEN: GENESIS” graphic novel

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Color boards from “HELLBOY 2”

WHEN DID YOU BECOME INVOLVED IN MAKING MOVIES? HOW DID YOU MAKE THAT TRANSITION? IN 2004, I WAS HIRED BY BLUR STUDIOS (A CG FILM AND ANIMATION COMPANY) TO DESIGN FOR THEM. BY THAT TIME, I WAS BURNT OUT ON COMICS AND I REALLY WANTED TO JUMP TO SOMETHING ELSE. WHILE AT BLUR, I DESIGNED AND DIRECTED A SHORT FILM CALLED “A GENTLEMAN’S DUEL,” AND THEN AFTER THAT I GOT AN OFFER TO WORK ON THE MOVIE HELLBOY 2. SINCE THEN, I’VE BEEN WORKING WITH “DEL TORO” ON SEVERAL OF HIS FILMS. [ED. NOTE: SUCH AS “PACIFIC RIM” “CRIMSON PEAK”, AND THE ABANDONED PRE-PRODUCTION OF “THE HOBBIT”]

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WHAT FILMS HAVE YOU WORKED ON OR DIRECTED? AS MENTIONED, I DIRECTED THE ANIMATED SHORT “A GENTLEMAN’S DUEL” WITH BLUR, AND AFTER THAT I DID A COUPLE OF LIVE ACTION SHORT FILMS ON MY OWN. NOTHING BIG. I HOPE I CAN DO A BIGGER PROJECT IN THE NEAR FUTURE. NOW WITH ALL THE DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY, EVERYTHING IS MORE ACCESSIBLE. YOU CAN DO AMAZING THINGS WITH A CAMERA PHONE THESE DAYS! WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON NOW? RIGHT NOW I’M JUST DOING FREELANCE, MOSTLY ILLUSTRATION AND DESIGN FOR ANIMATION AND TRYING TO PUT TOGETHER SOME GOOD STORIES FOR MY OWN COMIC BOOK/ FILM PROJECTS. WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO IN THE FUTURE? I WOULD LOVE TO GET MORE INTO ANIMATION, NOT TO ANIMATE MYSELF, BUT MOSTLY STORY AND DESIGN AND STORYBOARDING. I HOPE ALSO TO PUT OUT SOME OF MY BOOKS FOR GOOD. I HAVE TO TAKE SOME PAYING PROJECTS THAT PAY THE BILLS BUT PREVENT ME FROM FINISHING MY OWN THINGS.

(top) promotional rendering for “A GENTLEMAN’S DUEL” (bottow) “Stormpanzer Red” personal project

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“Wtiches” personal project

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“Yokai sketch” personal project

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PART TWO

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ARE YOU A REGISTERED AMBASSADOR YET? Subscribing members get an assortment of quality Magnetic Press cargo shipped to their doorstep every month, not the least of which is a new book!

Plus, new members receive the previous month’s BOOKMARKS, POSTERS, AND MYSTERY ITEMS included in their welcome shipment, in addition to the that month’s load of new stuff! That’s nearly twice the cargo when you first sign up!

If you’re not already on board, head to our website and join TODAY!

JOIN TODAY! www.MAGNETIC-PRESS.com/ambassadorsclub

Every member at a physical shipping tier of $5 or more gets a plastic Ambassadors Club card with unique member ID# good for discounts and referral bonuses!

JUST LOOK AT WHAT MEMBERS GOT THIS MONTH!

This month’s members got THREE BOOKS! RE*PRO*DUCT, LITTLE TAILS IN THE FOREST, and LITTLE TAILS IN THE JUNGLE!... all a month before stores!

Plus a LOVE: THE LION / A GLANCE BACKWARD 2-sided poster, a gold-stamped DOOMBOY bookmark, a HUGO BROYLER raceteam logo sticker sheet, a fabric logo coaster (and jar-opener), and Magnetic Press pen with touchscreen stylus!

This month’s Tee features “Rockbird” by Matteo De Longis from VOX!

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Signature and Connoseur Set members also received a copy of ANGELARIUM by Peter Mohrbacher and Eli Minaya!

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