First of all, Happy New Year to you, Friends of Blackguard! (Hope I've still got some out there!) I know it's a bit late but I only just re-animated myself after the zombie malaise of the Festivus season. It's always the same every year, I'm afraid.

Look!:

 

Today was a Good Mail Day because Xerography Debt #26 arrived in my mailbox. (It's one of the two best zine review zines out there, along with the wonderful Zine World.) The cover is awesome, it was drawn by Matt Fagan. I've only just started reading it so will review it later, but for now I want to share the three reviews of Blackguard included.

The first one is by Gianni Simone [Orga[ni]sm and Call & Response]:

'Are you tired of reading silly, badly drawn comics? Here’s something you might like – if you have nothing against sex, violence and blasphemy, that is. Mr. Stratu (of Sick Puppy Comix fame) is finally back with a vengeance, and has assembled a bunch of talented (sometimes demented) artists.
Issue #1 loosely revolves around “religious crazies,” while the brand new second offering is subtitled “Father.” This is an excellent zine, with full color cover and high production values. Recommended to all the not-so-easily-offended comic lovers.'

Thanks Gianni! I definitely owe you some mail and you will get it soon now that I have reactivated myself!

Here's the second one, by Kris Mininger [Going Postal!]:

'The theme here is "Religious Crazies." This is a contributor-driven comix zine and is not, I repeat NOT, for the faint-hearted or easily offended. Lots of bestiality, flesh-eating devil girls, crucifixion, torture, etc. There is some really good, old-fashioned obscenity in here. I enjoyed the hell out of it. Professionally printed with a full-color cover. The editor must have a contact who is a printer because I can't imagine randomly walking into a print shop with this material and not getting a visit from the police the next day. Who knows... maybe things are more laid-back in Australia.'

Thanks Kris! Actually, I had a helluva time getting Blackguard #1 printed (here is one part of that tale of woe), it was a nightmare. I should say however that the printer who dropped my 'hot potato' at the last minute wasn't in Australia. Both Australian printers I contacted told me the content would be no problem.

Finally here's a review by Matt Fagan [Meniscus]:

'Blackguard is a Dirty Underground Comic. It's full of short, violent black-and-white comix with boobies, cocks and ginies. It even has Mike Diana!
Sometimes these things have a tendency to descend into tedious pornography, but Blackguard's premiere issue focus on "religious crazies" keeps things on track and lively. Like most Dirty Underground Comix, there are perverted stories of naked monster women and well-endowed barbarian queens. Unlike most Dirty Underground Comix, there are adapted biographies of crazy cult leaders and weird stuff about the Pope! This is a compilation that defied my initial expectations, while still catering to the demands of its target audience.
Max Black is the editor as well as one of the contributors, and he seems to be spearheading this new venture after folding Sick Puppy Comix. I've never come across that Australian-based publication, but it ran for 13 issues since 1996, so you're in experienced hands. I look forward to seeing what other themes Blackguard will tackle in the future, and wish Max a good, long run.'

Thanks Matt! Your XD cover is awesome (and the bee's knees to boot)! I'll be sending you a copy of BG#2 and hope you will trade for one of your Meniscuses!

I got a few mail items in the mail today. Not junk mail, but REAL mail!
Here's the best one I got, not only a great, real letter inside (along with a postcard type thing from Queensland's 'House of Bottles' - see below) but a really great powder blue envelope with an illustration! And a real stamp!
Thanks David! You totally rock!



From the back of the postcard:

'In 1952, George Clifford found an ornamental bottle on the beach at the Coloured Sands and brought it home. Later, he and his wife, Muriel, found other interesting bottles that had drifted to this area. Eventually the collection had to be housed, and a House of Bottles was the solution. This was open to the public on Boxing day, 1966. It is now recognised as a must to all visitors to the Noosa-Tewantin area to see this amazing collection of thousands of different bottles from most parts of the Globe.

Many visitors have added to this by sending some bottles that they have kept over the years. Their names are being recorded permanently in the building.

So large has the collection become that it was necessary to build further additions; so, in 1968, George designed and started building the largest glass bottle in the world. It stands 9 meters high, is 4 metres across, has three floors, and polished wood spiral staircases which lead to a lookout at the top floor. It is built of 17,000 stubbies, and is an exact shape of a stubby. It houses some very rare and fancy bottles. A 15 metres slippery slide from the top is the joy of the young and old. No extra charge is made for rides.

Also on show is the biggest and best display of Coloured Sands in bottles ever assembled under one roof. Some are straight art, such as ships, birds, animals, and some are abstract, all of which are coloured sands tightly packed inside the bottles.

On sale are some of the finest bottles and decanters imported from Europe, France and Asia. Visitors are assured of courteous attention and all information regarding items of interest is gladly supplied.

Also on display is one of the largest blocks of Ambergris ever found on the Australian Coast. It is now worth $15,000.

Ambergris is the vomit of the sperm whale and is used in the manufacture of high grade perfumes.

Over 200 old type marble bottles are on display.

The Bottle Hospital is a model of a hospital, with bottles dressed as doctors, nurses and patients. It is a favourite with both adults and children.

In 1975 the new toilet block was erected and is called "The Little House" of Bottles. It is two, 3-metre high, bottle stubbies, and is the only one in the world.'

 

[Big comics and zine review night! Let's keep 'em coming!]

It's always a great mail day when a new Sundogs arrives in my post office box. Adam's diary comic is one of my big discoveries of the past year.
In this issue (July-September 2009) Adam has to cover up his tattoos again at the public pool (otherwise people might think he's Yakuza!), he gets stopped by police for the millionth time while riding his bike, he gets drunk with his in-laws and friends, gets accepted by two Japanese magazines to draw illustrations, encounters yet more Japanese racism towards Koreans, plays a show with his band (Bears) and gets naked, doesn't sleep enough [I recently read that a large group of Japanese were asked the top three things they liked to do on days off, one of them was catch up on sleep], watches the world cosplay parade, observes Japanese traditions like Obon Day, when ancestral spirits come home, and Okuribi, when the living send the spirits back to death's realm.
For somebody like me who doesn't have, nor plan to have, children, I experience some kind of vicarious enjoyment following Adam's life with his young family (Ami is now pregnant with a baby girl). I think a big part of what it is, is that it's great to read a diary comic by somebody who has started a family but is still young at heart, gets drunk, plays videogames, is in a band, has excellent taste in TV shows, and seems to juggle all that and still be a good father and manage his own business teaching English to Japanese. (Okay, a big part of it also is that he lives in Japan, and I have thing for Japan, as you may know...)  It really is compelling and wonderful!
If you're still reading, contact Adam at biguglyrobot@gmail.com or Adam Pasion, 1-42 Namiuchi-cho, Kita-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 462-0041, JAPAN. He loves trading comics too!

That scan of the cover of Going Postal! #2 doesn't do it justice at all. This is one of 50 covers made by NEOSHO (Dear Diary zine and Haphazard mail art zine). GP! editor Kris asked her how she made them:
"Speaking of the styroprint: it's real easy. I work in a huge jail by day, and each day 10,000 inmates get a stinky baloney sandwich in one of those white styrotrays. I have them save 'em for me. I cut off the bevelled edge, then draw on it with a ball point pen, roll on block printing ink and rub a print of it. At least it gets used once before hitting the landfill." [NEOSHO can be contacted at: PO Box 08262, Chicago IL 60608-0262, USA.]
There were also 50 covers made by Gianni Simone (Call & Response, orga(ni)sm and Kairan (a mail art forum). I want one of those too!
Anyway, there's some great stuff in this issue: Dale Spiers writes about the emergence of the postal age (really fascinating - in the early 1800s postage was 25 cents - about $30.00 in today's money!); rubber stamp history; an interview with Luke Sinclair from Melbourne's Sticky zine distro; a reprint of John Marr's (Murder Can Be Fun) piece about Patrick Henry Sherrill, the Oklahoman postal worker who in 1986 went on a shooting rampage killing 14 co-workers, introducing the saying 'going postal' to the English language.
There's readers' letters and more. Those discerning readers among you will write to Kris and secure your copy. One of the best things about this zine is that you need to know how to use stamps and envelopes to obtain a copy.
Send a zine trade or five bucks of your currency to: Kris & Lola, Going Postal!, Calle Obispo 4B, Plasencia 10600, Caceres, SPAIN.

 

The first issue of Greenblatt The Great! was a wonderful discovery for me (my review is here) so it was pretty exciting to receive Mr Aushenker's second issue recently. It contains more Greenblatt hi-jinx and lunacy, for example 'The Bald Off!' (above), one of my favourites here. Sad to say, many of the strips fell flat for me this time around. This issue also includes a long story called 'The Secret Double Life Of Michael Aushenker' which was a real mixed bag. On the one hand, spectacular art, action, some terrific internal dialogue during a chase scene ('Welcome to the soft parade.' 'Cobra on my left' 'Leopard on my right.'), really wild stuff. On the other hand he's got 'ho's' over while he's supposed to be drawing comics, and he's got a girlfriend! It's hardly admirable having hos over when you got a girlfriend, and if you ask me, hardly endears the character to the reader. Unless you're the type of reader who barks when he approves of a joke, and punches the air and that kind of behaviour. It was disappointing, because I know he's capable of better work. It's still worth getting though if you're a Greenblatt fan. And Michael is working on #3 so hopefully that issue will be back on track.
Visit www.cartoonflophouse.com and Michael's blog at cartoonflophouse.blogspot.com

It's been a while since I've posted anything here lately, but I knew that was gonna change when I checked my post office box after work today and found this envelope from Mr Neale Blanden. Is it as AWESOME as I think it is? You be the judge! As for me, I walked the whole way home with it jammed up against my eyeballs.

How wonderful to receive real letters in the mail! My comix pal Kapreles sent me a package including a very welcome four-page letter (page one shown here). He admitted that he was inspired by my review of Spanish zine Going Postal!  [from Blackguard #2] in which I wrote about the awesomeness of receiving real letters in the mail. And not only letters, but zines, comix, flyers, stickers, drawings, anything handmade or found which may be intrasting or amusing. The *wonderful efficiency* of email has almost killed all that. But not quite! I foresee a resurgence, a rediscovery of the wonderful act of sending letters and items through the mail. It's already happening you know. More and more people are realising that no matter how fast and efficient communication by email is, sending and receiving mail items through the post is a far deeper and richer experience. Naturally it demands more from you, but what you get in return is priceless and something unique and wonderful that you will never forget. Of course, it's not for everybody. But if you are still reading this, maybe it's for you! Contact me for more information! >>> sstratu@gmail.com

     Now that #2 the Father issue is finished, it's time to announce the theme for Blackguard #3 - it's gonna be the Crime issue! Yes, crime is the theme. Crime is everywhere, movies and TV shows wouldn't be what they are without it. Not to mention current affairs programs, documentaries, novels, newspapers, magazines, etc. Without crime what do we have? A shit boring existence is what, if we're honest. But what is crime anyway? It depends on where you are, when you are, your social status, how much money you have, the nature of your *crime*, whether or not you're caught, a million things. From smoking a joint to butchering fellow human beings in a serial fashion, *crime* can be relatively harmless or the cause of endless suffering. The craziest aspect of crime for artists may be the history of criminal prosecution for men or women who have written, drawn, or painted something that has led to their being imprisoned, and worse. Imagine that!

This time I want one-page strips. Only one-page! You can submit  multiple one-page strips, but nothing beyond one page, see. Some of you may not like that, maybe you need three or four pages for your idea. Well tough shit. If you can't get your idea across with one page then I don't wanna know about it. A one-page strip is a beautiful thing and by god Blackguard #3 is gonna be wall-to-wall one-page strips. Ya feel me?

Deadline! March 2010. You have plenty of time so don't sweat it.

And don't expect #3 to be nearly as *slick* as #2 was - that motherfucker has cornholed me but good.

/punches hole in wall, knocking bourbon flying

I always forget that it's not finished when the comic is printed up. The past couple of weeks have been MAD (man), sending out contributor copies of Blackguard #2, selling copies at work (I've been there so long that I have a small army of fans of Sick Puppy Comix who for the past six years have been asking me when I was gonna do another one), one of whom bought three copies and two others bought two. I've also sent out heavy packages of BG#2s to PolyEster Books (Melbourne), Suggestion Records (Germany), Sticky (Melbourne), and more in the coming days and weeks... I emailed Red Eye Records a week ago to find out if they would stock it (they used to stock Sick Puppy) and they haven't replied. Oh well, Glenn Smith asked for a bunch to give to Repressed Records in Newtown to sell, which I did, so they'll have them. Plus I'm gonna go see Tim at Faster Pussycat and see if he will stock them. He used to stock Sick Puppy too. (See! I'm getting back into the swing of things!)

Hey! Also this weekend is the big Newcastle Zine Fair (part of the annual TINA This Is Not Art festival) which I'm gonna be at. Going up for Saturday night to party with the other comix and zine people, try not to get too monstered, because the next day is the zine fair and I will more than likely be sharing a table with Chris Mikul (Bizarrism) and selling arseloads of BG#2s, if the Gods of Olympus give me the nod.

Feedback for Blackguard #2 has been coming in and it's all good (sad to say... heh heh! only joking! ... no, i'm not! etc.) so here's a sample:

"I got the Father zine yesterday, and in a really, really odd synchronicity, my dad was visiting with me, he was in the car as I checked my p.o. to find the package.  It's especially odd because my dad has never visited me in any of the places I've lived since leaving home 13 years ago..." - JHS
 

"Today I got home earlier from work and found your awesome mag in my mailbox. That was about four hours ago. I've already read half of it, dammit. When is issue #3 coming out?" - GS

This morning at work Pete (who I sold a copy of Blackguard #2 to a couple of days ago) comes up to me and says, "Hey! That Neale Blanden in your new issue, I know him! He's a friend of mine!" I was getting into the elevator so figured I'd hear the story next time I bumped into him. Well, I bumped into him an hour later and he told me about his friend Neale Blanden. He said, "He's a mad guy. When he worked in the adult bookstore we would talk about sci-fi..." I said, "What, you mean a gay adult bookstore right?" Pete said yeah, a gay adult bookstore. I asked because Pete is gay himself. I told him that didn't sound like the Neale Blanden I know, said Blackguard Neale is a family man. Pete said well his friend Neale was gay, but then got with a woman, but would go off to gay bookstores on the side. I said, 'That must be another Neale Blanden, where was this at?" "Here in Sydney!"  "Well Blackguard Neale Blanden has always lived in Melbourne as far as I know." It was pretty weird because Pete was so sure it must be the same one. His Neale was even a comics artist!

Today I'm sending off copies of Blackguard #2 to The National Library of Australia and The State Library of New South Wales. This is for Legal Deposit, which I wrote about here back in January, and even got some comments from Legal Deposit *insiders* (Big shout out to Wan and Kay!).

Well, today I read some more about Legal Deposit around the world, and realised how lucky we are not to live in Poland, where you must send 19 copies of your publication out to different libraries! Check out the Wikipedia page here to find out about Legal Deposit in your own country. Also interesting to read was that for US publishers, the Library of Congress "does not retain all works." What does that mean? Do they have some kind of policy on what they deem worthy of retaining? If anybody knows, please comment.

Printmaster Theo delivered 250 copies of Blackguard #2 today and boy oh boy do they look good. You will require a copy, there's no doubt about that.

Specifications: 52 pages, digest size, full-colour cover featuring the work of Josh Simmons, Neale Blanden, Anton Emdin and Glenn Smith. Inside, glorious B&W comix by Gerard Ashworth, Michael Aushenker, Dexter Cockburn, Mike Diana, Julie Doye, Ben Hutchings, Doug Iannucci, Lark, Chris Mikul, David Puckeridge, D. Rat, Ross Radiation, SCAR, Stratu and Ryan Vella. There's also a brutal four-page story by Henry L. Racicot, illustrated by Doug Iannucci. Plus a Mailbag page of comments about Blackguard #1: Religious Crazies. Not to mention a huge seven-page comix and zine reviews section with full colour cover scans. It's a killer issue, no doubt. Get it or regret it.

Ordering info:
PayPal (use sstratu@gmail.com for payment);
or send well-concealed cash;
or trade for similar high standard comix or zines:

Australia --- $5.00 pp
New Zealand --- $8.00 AUSD pp
Asia -- $8.00 USD pp
USA/Canada --- $10.00 USD pp
UK/Europe --- $10.00 USD pp

Blackguard
PO Box 93
Paddington NSW 2021
Australia

Contributor copies will be posted on Monday and Tuesday. Free copies will go out to folks who traded with me. (You rock.)

Well, it's coming up on about a year since Blackguard #1 came out - maybe that's the best I can hope for these days: a new issue once a year.
Anyway, a couple of weeks ago I went over to Brother Mikel's place and he helped me get Blackguard #2 all ready to go off to Printmaster Theo (who did such an awesome job on #1), he fixed the page sizes and the cover too, which I'll post here. (I know you've already seen the cover half a million times. Can you spot the difference?) Theo says he will deliver me 250 Blackguard #2s THIS WEEK. I'm keeping my fingers (and all kinds of other body parts) crossed that happens. You can bet that I will post the Good News here that same night! So then the process of mailing out contributor copies begins. I don't mind that part at all. I love it! I really do. The whole thing. Writing the notes, putting it in the comic, writing the address, sticking on the postage stamps, walking to the mailbox and dropping 'em in. Ding dong. I love it all.

In other news, the This Is Not Art festival in Newcastle is coming up in early October which means the big Newcastle Zine Fair on Sunday 4 October 2009 where I will be selling Blackguards #1 and 2, Chris Mikul will be selling Bizarrisms (and maybe or maybe not his new book The Cult Files which I am reading at last and which I will plug here soon - you will require a copy), Ross Radiation, Glenn Smith, Ben Hutchings, and many others will be selling their fine papery wares. It's gonna be AWESOME, honcho. Well, it will be if it was anything like last year. If you or a loved one has a comix or zine for sale then let it be known that tables can be reserved by emailing Susy Pow at Zinefair.nywf@gmail.com.

At long last Blackguard #2 : Father is finished, all I gotta do now is go to Brother Mikel's house on Saturday and he will make sure all the pages are the correct size, add page numbers, adjust the contributor names on the cover then send it off to my printer (who I called the other day and he told me he can have it printed up in less than a week!) So, fingers crossed that part will go smoothly. It's hard to believe that I could be sending out contributor copies by the end of next week. I'm so thrilled I'm about to explode in a big gory mess all over the walls of my tiny apartment! Here's the final contributor line-up: Josh Simmons, Neale Blanden, Dexter Cockburn, Julie Doye, D. Rat, Glenn Smith, Doug Iannucci, Anton Emdin, Mike Diana, Ben Hutchings, Stratu , David Puckeridge, SCAR, Ryan Vella, Henry L. Racicot, Chris Mikul, Michael Aushenker, Gerard Ashworth and Lark. There's also seven pages of comix and zine reviews. 52 pages this time! ... Anyway, with any luck I'll post real soon that it's finished and printed and you my dear contributors will be advised to hover over your mailbox for imminent copies, while other friends of Blackguard will be advised to send five clams (or thereabouts, depending upon how much it's gonna cost to print..) for a copy. It's so awesome, did I tell you, this issue will totally take the top of your head off along with your eyeballs, and major sections of your brain matter, in the best way. Promise.

Blackguard #2 is so close to being finished. How close? Well, you know those five-blade razors? That close. Here's the cover, or a preview of it anyway. The contributor names will be expanded. I'm just finishing up reviewing the gigantic pile of comix and zines I received, and waiting for one contributor to get his strip to me. If he stops promising and delivers the goods I will get down on my knees and swear before the gods of Olympus to be a better human being, even if that entails opening my door on Sunday mornings when neatly dressed and disturbingly fresh-faced visitors knock on my door early on Sunday mornings.

Just for fun, here is the contributor list for Blackguard #2, which will be available next month (September) or I will chop my own loser head off:

Michael Aushenker
Neale Blanden
Dexter Cockburn
Julie Doye
Anton Emdin
Ben Hutchings
Doug Iannucci
Kapreles
Lark
Chris Mikul
David Puckeridge
Henry L. Racicot
D. Rat
SCAR
Josh Simmons
Glenn Smith
Stratu
Ryan Vella

...And maybe more - the final deadline for *Father* strips is 27 August 2009 (two weeks from now).

[Mega thanks to Brother Mikel for cover title design.]

I just got an email from my friend Anton Emdin (Blackguard #1 cover artist extraordinaire) and he's just done a revamp of his website, so why not go and have a squizz. His art always knocks my socks off, and will probably do the same for you if you have functioning eyeballs, or even one functioning eyeball.

Typhon Volume One edited by Danny Hellman 196 pages, full colour, magazine size, $24.95, Danny Hellman, PO Box 901 Old Chelsea Station, New York NY 10113-0901, USA  www.dannyhellman.com/typhon
Danny Hellman has put together an anthology that makes all comics anthologies up to now seem like warm-ups. This is an *underground art object* of the highest quality which you will flip through then read in a state of almost unbearable ecstasy and bliss, eyes popping, serotonin flooding your brain like from a firehose. Every page glows, the colours almost blinding in the most wonderful way. Yes, I like this here comics anthology. It’s pretty good! Anyway, Mr. Hellman has assembled a fine gang of contributors, most of whom I’d never heard of since I was out of the comix scene for five long years (Bald Eagles? Who dat? What a great name!). One of my favourites here is by one such unknown, Hawk Krall, with his terrific strip ‘Summer of Seven Eleven’ . There’s also a ‘Virgil’ strip by Hugo! More names that may ring a bell: David Paleo, Mark Campos, Pat Moriarty, Henriette Valium, Hans Rickheit, and of course Danny Hellman. Along with about thirty others!

Well sir, this book kicks so much arse I don’t know what else to say. It’s twenty-five bucks, sure, but what else are you gonna spend that dough on? Here in Sydney you can’t even get three packets of cigarettes for twenty-five bucks! And a 30-pack carton of Victoria Bitter cans is fifty goddam bucks when it’s not on special!

Summary: Recommended, like not holding your breath for fifteen minutes is recommended.

Mr. Hellman, I have just put you up there on that pedestal with my other hero, Neil Hamburger.

   
[36pages, micro-size (half digest), b&w, Carrie McNinch, PO Box 49403, Los Angeles CA 90049, USA  cmcninch@gmail.com ]
I got the new issue of Carrie's diary comic in the mail today. In an accompanying note she warned me about how bleak it was, and she was right. The black dog has been really nipping at her heels over this time period (15 Dec 2008 - 23 Mar 2009), not to mention the usual struggles with sweet, sweet liquor. Add into that a health crisis for Jesse, one of Carrie's cats, AND a crippling foot injury and bleak is the word. But somehow she keeps drawing and making it to another day, for which I am very glad because her comics are always a pleasure to read. Also definitely worth your time if you know about anxiety/depression, and how much fun that shit is.

 
[28pages, full colour, digest size, Steve Steiner www.probeersel.com/steves ]
Okay this was the comic inside the envelope (below) that had the 'Missent to Barbados' rubber stamps on it. I had sent a Blackguard #1 to Steve to trade for one of his comics that I read about in Xerography Debt, but that comic was called Nobody Can Eat 50 Eggs. Steve wrote that he stopped doing that one about two years ago (it was an old XD though), and doesn't have any copies left, but this Crocodile Man comic is his new one. What we got here is basically different gags along the lines of, 'Ohmygawd! It's a crocodile, man!' Crocodile man gets a job in an office so we get gags about him in relation to his co-workers. He also has a flatmate, and the funniest gag with that was when the flatmate has a friend over and offers him some pills he scored from hanging out near an elderly person's garbage can for hours, so of course soon enough Crocodile Man walks in, at which point the friend says to the flatmate, 'These pills are awesome!' The only other strips are at a bar where Crocodile Man has a drink after work, and that location provided the funniest strip for me (see above). The drawing is okay but the main problem was most of the strips just weren't funny. Well, different things are funny to different people, so I'm sure Steve has got an audience out there, and best of luck to him I say! Plus I still got those 'Missent to Barbados' stamps!

 
Great news! Hugo has got a website at long last! It was worth the wait. When you visit just make sure you've got some free time because you'll be there for a long while checking out his totally awesome comics and illustrations. Go and look now! Or bookmark it and look later! But look! Pop your eyeballs out and give them a treat!