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June 19, 2010: I've launched a new version of this website as a Wordpress blog. This version won't be updated anymore.
If you don't see the images of a review, it means that I've transferred it to the new site.
   
 

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On this page:

Circles #5&6
Tina's reviews: Prisoner of the Immortal
Top to Bottom
Chiaroscuro: The Private lives of Leonardo Da Vinci collected
A new home for Gun Street Girl
David Morales, another French gay artist
Harvey the Gay Android
A Sticky interview

 

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Entries for July 2005:
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Saturday, July 30, 2005
Review update
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Circles #5&6


Author(s): Andrew French, Steve Domanski, Scott Fabianek.


coverI'd completely missed the fifth issue of the all-gay, all-anthro series Circles when it was published last year. So, here are a few words about that issue and the sixth one, recently published (both available at the Rabbit Valley online store).

panels from issue #5If the first four issues were about the various relationships between the six main characters (there's a collection available), the current arc gives us information about the past of those characters: in issue #5, Paulie, the oldest character who's in his fifties, tells the story of his life to Marty, the youngest one, whose arrival at 6 Kinsey Circle launched the series. Paulie is English, born at the end of the 40's, and emigrated to the USA in 1969. The authors have an opportunity to recount the pre- and early post-Stonewall years, through a likeable but believable character who's made his share of mistakes. They chose a illustrated text format (almost no sequential narrative there), which might make for a less interesting comic in itself, but since it's well written, and as well drawn as usual, it's not really a problem. We also get Paulie's version of his meeting with Douglas, his much younger lover.
cover for the 6th issue panels from the 6th issue: Paulie and Douglas get togetherWhich brings us to the 6th issue, in which Douglas tells his tale, having introduced a new member of the cast who's going to change a lot of things. Interestingly, while Douglas is younger than Paulie, he's had a more difficult time adjusting to his being gay and had a girlfriend when he met Paulie at an aids lecture. As Paulie, Douglas is a warm character who makes mistakes and fumbles about - as we all do - when confronted with important life choices.
It's obvious by now that the authors have managed to build stories where real life issues are present, but with, at least until now, a major difference with reality: love and friendship make all things better and solve problems. This combination of realistic tensions and optimistic warmth (the latter being also brought by the always engaging art) is probably what makes Circles such an uplifting reading.


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Tuesday, July 26, 2005
Blog review
If you don't see the images of a review, it means that I've transferred it to the new site.

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Tina's reviews: Prisoner of the Immortal

Category: fantasy, slash.
Author(s): Insanity Team.


Tina comes back for a third yaoi/slash review. Her first two were Kit Fancy and Revenge Is Sweet.


Title: Prisoner of the Immortal
Includes: Offered To a Demon, The One Gilles de Rais Let Live
Author: Insanity Team, Studio Kosaru, Yamila Abraham, Studio Kawaii
Publisher: Yaoi Press
No. of Volumes:1
Original Price: $12.95
ISBN: 0-9767441-2-0

a pageI tried to get into the first story and I just couldn’t. There was more build up in the description on the back flap there was within the story; always a warning sign. The artwork is well done, the characters are pleasing to look at, but I had a hard time following the panels of the story due to lack of dialogue without clear facial emotions on the characters. I had to re-read a couple of pages to see if I missed something. The angst is there, cruel seme obsessed with gorgeous uke who is admired from afar by noble young man, and it’s predictably sexy, but too much so. Fans of Japanese ‘BL’ will love the artwork and moody one-liners; it’s dripping with aesthetic droll.

The second story got to me right away! I have played around myself with the concept of lost faith walking hand in hand with lost innocence so Offered to a Demon was a real treat. It is set on the planet of Risden and introduces us to Kaleb, an ‘Asacrat’ Monk. In this story we can surmise the set up within the dialogue, and so you begin to think about the characters as more than just pictures on a page. You actual like them because they have dimension. Our demonic seme General Cain is quite amusing. His jabs at Kaleb are nothing more than his own weird form of flirting. Just when you think Offered... might suffer from not knowing whether it's funny or serious, it reigns itself in and maintains its balance.

The final story is tailored for fans of the abusive macabre. The One Gilles de Rais Let Live is just as the title says- it’s about a street rat named Poitou, a boy of rather dubious character on his own, he certainly needs little corrupting. He does whatever it takes to stay alive-and one night he crosses paths with a certain murderous and perverted aristocrat and decides to go for broke.

I recommend this book for fans of smart, cunning, and boyish looking ukes. Overall the entire book is not an explicit one, so private parts are left to the imagination, but little else is. You do get plenty of skin in this series, and you know damn well what’s going on when it happens-there is no reason to show genitalia because the stories don't need it - the one exception being the title story. The entire work is planned out evenly in terms of subject matter if you like a touch of romance between your darkness.

The manga is very well printed, strong perfect binding, definitely shelf-worthy with excellent presentation and cover stock. Overall rating: 4 out of 5 Stars – only because the second and third stories of this book make it worth the cover price. This title is available at Amazon.com simply by typing in 'yaoi', as well on the website.

Tina


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Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Various news
(List all)
Top to Bottom



Top to Bottom

 

 

Top to Bottom is an extremely funny strip about, well, I don't know exactly: it reads like a telenovella written by a very camp and very uninhibited guy (yeah, I know, the name of the author is "Renita", but it's a guy) who mixes love, sex, murder and all lots of mayhem to concoct something totally unique: imagine Dynasty recreated by John Waters working alongside Peter Jackson (in his pre-Rings period, if you know what I mean).
You might think it's not comics, since it's not drawn (look at the nice banner above), but it's sequential art with pictures and text, so I'll say it's comics.
Anyway, there's already a whole year of archive to read, so go and spend some time in the not-for-kids world of fabulous guys and gruesome murders. Or is it the opposite?


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Monday, July 18, 2005
Various news
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Chiaroscuro: The Private lives of Leonardo Da Vinci collected



coverThe 1995 mini-series Chiaroscuro: The Private lives of Leonardo Da Vinci, written by Pat McGreal and David Rawson, with art by Chas Truog and Rafael Kayanan (and photo covers by Stephen John Phillips & Richard Bruning), will finally be collected by DC/Vertigo in October.
I really wonder why they're doing it now, but I'm not complaining. This is a series I really enjoyed from a gay point of view, since it details the historical (non-)relationship between Da Vinci and Salai, a young guy who was in his service. It's not the only interest of this story, but it was nice to see that included, for once.
I'll write a real review when we get closer to the publication date - the book will be available from any bookshop, then.


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Friday, July 15, 2005
Various news
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A new home for Gun Street Girl



LizGun Street Girl, the webcomic showcasing a main lesbian character I'd told you about last year, has found a new home at Panel2Panel. It's now free, and in black and white. Creators Barbara Lien-Cooper and Ryan Howe intend to get it into print, so that readers can get the b&w white version online for free, and the color version in print.
You can already read part of the archived strip online, the rest will be added soon.


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Various news
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David Morales, another French gay artist



RickI recently found the site of David Morales, a French artist who does illustrations and strips with his character Rick. It's fun and quite sexy.
Just in case you need help for this site: "BDs" means "comics", "croquis" means "sketches", and you might have to state that you're of age to see some of it (that means clicking on "Je suis majeur et j'accepte"). Even if you don't read French, you should enjoy looking at the strips. As for the illustrations, they're rather international.


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Various news
(List all)
Harvey the Gay Android



HarveyI've just found a new gay webcomic, and it's a real cute one. Harvey the Gay Android by a guy named Andreas is funny and clever in its twisting of casual homophobia and heterosexism. And it's cute. Really. Go and read the strips.


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Sunday, July 03, 2005
Various news
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A Sticky interview



Following last month's Queer special, which I'd already recommended, the Sequential Tart site is now offering an interview with Dale Lazarov and Steve MacIsaac, the creators of the erotic series Sticky. It's a good interview, as usual from the Tarts.


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