Enemy of Peanuts

Can it all be so simple? Or, “The world’s easiest cosplay!”

Jim Gibbons — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 01:24:01 +0000

Comic book cosplayers of the world, get ready to thank me.

Earlier today, Comic Book Resources ran the first preview of our Free Comic Book Day issue for 2010. Not only is it a preview of a cool free issue, it’s also the first peek at Dark Horse’s upcoming line of relaunched Gold Key heroes under the guidance of comics legend Jim Shooter. The preview features a first look at the Shooter-penned “Doctor Solar, Man of the Atom” and “Magnus, Robot Fighter,” with art by Dennis Calero and Bill Reinhold, respectively.

In stores: May 1, 2010

Given a minute to gush, I have to say I am extremely excited about getting to work with these characters. I can’t claim to have been reading the exploits of these heroes for years upon years like many comic fans, but I fell in love with them when I delved into their archives recently. Having a job at Dark Horse allows me the opportunity to work with a ton of great books, spanning just about every genre you can think of: mystery, horror, science fiction, humor, cartoons… and the list goes on. However, the one style of comic book I haven’t had a real chance to work on in my brief time at DH is a straight up superhero book! With Magnus and Solar coming to comic shops on May 1st’s Free Comic Book Day, I not only get the chance to help promote superheroes, but I get the chance to promote some of the most exciting, outlandish and delightfully science fiction-drenched superheroes in the history of comics!

On to the point…

While contemplating the simple and pure awesomeness of Magnus, Robot Fighter (His name pretty much tells you all you need to know to get pumped up to insane levels.), it dawned on me that Magnus’ simply awesome nature translates more or less seamlessly (Pun intended!) to cosplay.

Yes, that's a man punching an evil robot. And yes, it's about to become your new favorite comic.

Note: For the uninitiated, cosplay is short for “costume play,” a type of performance art in which participants don costumes and accessories to represent a specific character or idea. Cosplayers frequent comic conventions and always have bitchin’ costumes on Halloween.

Whereas numerous cosplayers spend days or even months working on elaborate anime character costumes or stormtrooper suits with enough detail to put an actual Star Wars movie to shame, you can go to a convention as Magnus after only a few simple steps.

1. Buy a red t-shirt. Probably XL or larger. Make sure it’s long enough to reach to about mid- to upper-thigh.

2. Remove the t-shirt’s sleeves.

3. Put on the t-shirt. (Underpants/undershorts are a good idea, but not essential.)

4. Strap on a belt at waist level. (A futuristic belt is ideal, but not necessary.)

5. Put on black boots. (Note: Black shoes will work just fine.)

6. Anytime you see someone dressed as a robot, punch and/or fight them. (Note: EnemyofPeanuts.com does not suggest or condone fighting people dressed as robots.)

Looking badass is also suggested to pull off your Magnus costume.

Undershorts/pants highly recommended for Magnus cosplayers who are kicking enthusiasts.

More benefits to this costume, aside from how easy it is to assemble…
1. It’s cheap! A t-shirt, belt and shoes? You could whip this stuff together with a quick trip to Wal-Mart or a quick search through the dirty laundry.

2. Major nerd props! How many times have you seen Magnus at a convention?! Not many, right?! People will totally high five you in this costume. Or, if they are dressed as robots, nervously say you look cool from a distance.

3. Comfort! How hard is it for half the costumed attendees at cons to simply use the bathroom? Not only are bathroom breaks easy as Magnus, the cool breeze wafting through your short, robot-killing kilt will keep you refreshed and cool, allowing you to continue enjoying any convention while heavy-suited cosplayers are resting or taking water breaks.

Yes, cosplay truly can be that simple!

No con-going robot is safe!

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Reading is fun!

Jim Gibbons — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 09:50:20 +0000

Sometimes you just have to animate a gif, if only to remind yourself it can be done.

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Monkeying around with Hellboy

Jim Gibbons — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 02:26:00 +0000

Possibly the greatest three panel sequence in the history of comics…

Need I say more?!

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Ironically, I owe my very existence to a peanut

Jim Gibbons — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 00:42:14 +0000

I’m clearly not a big fan of peanuts. (Please refer to this site’s url for more!)

And yet, if it weren’t for a peanut, I would never have existed.

My father, Dave Gibbons (Not this guy, fyi.), recently posted the story of how he met my mother on the message board of his college fraternity’s Web site. Here’s the story…

How a Peanut in a Cup Led to a Lifetime of Happiness
Thank you to Dave Gibbons ‘77 for sending us this story.

He writes “My best Delt memory was a Delt/DZ party in October of 1976. [It was] held just prior to Jimmy Carter’s election, so we had a bunch of peanuts in the tube room. (For you youngsters, Carter was a Georgian peanut farmer.) I saw this hot looking DZ across the room who I didn’t know but wanted to meet and, of course, what better method then to toss a peanut across the room into her beer cup? One shot, one make. I walked her home that night. Six weeks later I told her I was going to marry her. A few months later we got pinned and I was tied up to the basketball pole and covered in old food, paint and crepe paper out back by the shelter, as was the ritual in those days. 33 years and three kids later, we have been married over 30 years.”

So, were it not for a peanut—a legume to which I have a deadly allergy—I would never have been born. (Note: If you are a time traveler, please do not use this information to negate my existence.) Kind of completes the “peanuts are like my kryptonite” comparison, doesn’t it? Superman’s only weakness are rocks from his destroyed home planet. My death could be caused by the very food item that brought my parents together for the first time. Not quite the same, but eerily similar. Or, maybe I’m just a nerd drawing comparisons where there are none… you be the judge!
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Great Comic Quotes: (Not) For The Birds

Jim Gibbons — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 04:40:27 +0000

Sometimes you just have to put your foot down.

Truly, these ladies must be birdbrains.

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Blammo!

Jim Gibbons — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 07:25:28 +0000

Cartoonist Noah Van Sciver (who you may know from here, here, here, here or here) was kind enough to send me a copy of his comic “Blammo.” Along with the fifth issue, Noah also sent me a promotional sticker. The word “rad” comes to mind.

Blammo-riffic!

Do yourself a favor and go buy your copy right now! Buy two copies! Buy so many it totally rewards the kindness displayed by sending a schmo like me a complimentary copy!Similar Posts:

All Day Pizza Buffet: Shrimp Cocktail

Jim Gibbons — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 07:09:31 +0000

You are what you eat…

"My weird secret? I like to eat food that looks like me."

Now with shrimpy background color!

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The Greatness of Grickle

Jim Gibbons — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 04:37:45 +0000

I’ve learned that one of the nicest parts of my job is that I am frequently exposed to books that I might not have encountered were I not attempting to get them publicity. One of these recent surprises—I’m ashamed to say “recent,” as his work is really tremendous—was the cartooning of Graham Annable.

Over the last year, as I began doodling again due to the stress of my professional situation and the need for a creative outlet, I realized that the first job I ever wanted was that of a cartoonist. Somewhere along the line I convinced myself that art wasn’t my strong suit and I focused on writing. This eventually led to a pursuit of journalism which in turn led to reporting and editing comics news, but even with all that art in front of me, it never dawned on me to pick my pencil back up and start scribbling. A random cartoon I drew while at Wizard led to some encouragement and I started to draw regularly again.

As I attempted to take my hours of uninstructed middle school scrawling to a higher level, I began to take notice of cartoony strips I had more or less ignored for years. Suddenly, as I struggled with strip format, I could appreciate the enigmatic expressiveness of an art form where less was often more. Quite simply, and as cliched as it can possibly be said, I had not only fallen in love with cartooning again, but also the strip format that so permeated my childhood.

Musings aside, it was with a still relatively new-found love of cartooning that I was introduced to the art of Graham Annable.

The upcoming "Book of Grickle."

As I’ve spent a lot of time with this cover of late, so I’ll use it as my first example to point out how subtly expressive Graham’s simplistic looking Grickle can be. This cover is, at first glance, filled with a single character. And yet, with a closer look, each figure is unique. Sometimes with just a slight alteration, the gaze of one Grickle makes it express something entirely different than another. Seemingly simple, but try it. Expressing so much with such small distinction is insanely hard.

Add to that the eccentric yet profound punches that the interior comics pack, and “The Book of Grickle” is quite simply a volume that I can’t wait to get my hands on, even though I’ve been afforded the chance to read a majority of it already.

For example, take “Love Note,” a story done by Annable for MySpace Dark Horse Presents that first appeared on Comics Alliance.

Two incongruent panels juxtaposed shamelessly to make my point.

This story has a sincere sweetness that sits alongside aspects that are completely deranged… and I love that! The fact it’s expressed in the art and not expounded endlessly upon in narration is also wonderful, but capturing the extremes of life in exaggerated cartoon forms is pretty damn perfect here and in every other bit of Annable’s work I’ve seen. Even more simply: It’s a style I enjoy and admire used to tell short tales that entirely entertain me.

And, of course, the fact that Annable has done some excellent “Lost” cartoons doesn’t hurt is case either!

Desmond: You're his brotha no matter who the mother.

———
Full disclosure, folks: It is my job to help get publicity for this book and sell it, but I dig it so much you can assured I’ll be picking up a copy myself!

Also: It’s been a while since I’ve mused/gushed about a comic. Alliteration is usually abundant when this the case, as it is here.
———
Added later on…
Comics Alliance has a “Book of Grickle” sample up. Check it out!Similar Posts:

Pac-Man Pastillage!

Jim Gibbons — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 00:43:04 +0000

Who doesn’t love a sweet and delicious treat? The answer: No one. This is a piece of science non-fiction. Write it down.

Due to this fact, I feel all the more fortunate to have been blessed with an awesome sister who has a natural talent for baking that’s been amplified by two years of studying the “Baking and Pastry Arts” at culinary school.

Last week, I was surprised by a package that contained ten outrageously delicious chocolate chip biscotti. In less than 24 hours, they had all been consumed. The craziest thing—though it’s really more logical than crazy, but at the time I was stunned—was that there was some element to the taste of the biscotti that was far elevated beyond the quaint taste of “homemade” baked goods. Give me that same recipe and all the necessary tools and the results, while edible, would not have been near the level of quality of the treats my sister turned out. I’m proud definitely proud of my sister Lexie and sometimes that means I get rewarded with tasty baked goods for no reason at all. It’s a pretty sweet deal. (Get it?! “Sweet” deal!)

Now, imagine how much prouder I was when I received this picture of one of Lexie’s recent projects.

Pac-Man!

Yep, not only is my sister quite an excellent bakist (Or, if you prefer, baker.), she’s not afraid to add a little nerdiness to the recipe as well! Huzzah!

Here’s the text message from Lexie that accompanied the picture: “This was my pastillage final product! Pastillage is a sugar dough! I had to airbrush, mold, paint and stuff ”

I’ll save you the googling trouble and copy you all the Wiki info on pastillage. A pastillage is “a thick sugar paste, similar to gum paste, that is molded into shapes. When dried, it is hard and brittle. Made with gelatin, water and confectioner’s sugar, it hardens quickly and can be shaped for a short while by hand, and after hardening, with electric grinders, cutters, sandpaper and assorted files.”

For further examples, see “Food Network Challenge.” I’m sure there’s more to this art, but for baking laymen like myself, I think that is maybe the best pop culture reference for this Pac-Man piece. And yes, it is entirely edible.

Anywho, I just thought this was pretty awesome and had to post it here and gush a little about how cool my sister is. Well done, Lex! This is fantastic!
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All Day Pizza Buffet: Conflicts

Jim Gibbons — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 05:40:35 +0000

I futzed around with a few quick doodles on Photoshop and these are the kooky and amateurish results.

That time Lloyd Dobler saved the world from a giant asteroid.

The Combed Caveman

This office environment is HEATED!

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