The most important day of the year for independent publishers like ours is back! On Saturday, October 1st, 2022 indie creators and fans Worldwide will join in unison, both in person and online as well; to celebrate independent comics and their creators. 

   Buy Indie Comics Day was created so that independent comic book, zines, mini-comics, graphic novels and comics strip creators around the World could synergize on a single day designed exclusively to celebrate their work. 

​   It is our hope that all comic book retailers across the Globe will take this as an opportunity to stock up on indie comics, that consumers will take a chance on new titles and creators they've probably never heard of and that creators have an event created specifically to showcase their work to a much larger audience than a normal comic book convention ever could.​

   If you're a comic book shop owner/manager or if you're an indie comics creator and you're wondering how you can be a part of this global event, here are some easy to follow graphics that show what you can do on such a glorious occasion as Buy Indie Comics Day! The guys over at Buy Indie Comics Day want this year top be their biggest ever and we feel it might just be if we all join forces and start early, hence us pushing it in February! 

   Please, contact your local comics shops and ask what they have planned for Buy Indie Comics Day, if they don't have anything planned for that day then it's your time to shine and be a part of this Global movement! We're counting on you! 

   On this episode "The Katz" explore the range of comics from Albatross Funnybooks! And why you should check out their amazing books. Their range of titles can be found in your Local Comic Book Store, Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=albatross+... Their trades & graphic novels can be found in Good Book Stores and also check out their official website: https://shop.albatrossfunnybooks.com/ Thanks for listening / watching! 

The Sunder Katz is hosted by: Dodgy @Dodgy86inthemix, Manny @truthfulcomics, Tracy @reikiwithtracy and Paul G @paulgomez790

Watch Ep.13 of The Sunder Katz HERE!​

   Today is a sad day for the comic book scene in Puerto Rico because Miguel Angel Sanjurjo, creator of Jibaro Samurai; has passed away. One of the most beloved and respected comics creators in the island, Miguel was as funny as he was talented. I know because I knew him personally.  Back when I was living in Puerto Rico there was a growing local comics scene and we all got to know each other in some capacity, obviously some more than others, but with "Guelo" as his friends called him; we actually became quite close for short while.

   I was doing my things as indie creators usually do, but in those times there was a group of creators who decided to join forces with whom they believed were the most talented creators at the time and also creators who'd work well with one another; this studio was called Algaro Comics. The group consisted of Efrain Morales, Rigo Jimemez, Joel Vazquez, Miguel Sanjurjo and they invited me to join as well.  

   For a while it was great and I have fond memories from those times, few as they were; I still remember many fun  interactions with Guelo. We actually went to a few comic conventions together, we did a 12 Hour and a 24 Hour Comic Book Day Challenge, we met a few times at Cosplay meets and everytime we had a blast! It's always special when you meet someone who is as talented as you and as confident in his abilities as you are but also has humility and enjoys sharing his/her secrets, techniques and enjoys the experience of sitting down with other artists and just draw for the fun of it; almost like musicians jamming together. We had a bunch of those experiences and it pains me to say we drifted apart and we never got back in touch or could spend quality time like we used to. I'm not sure why we drifted apart, maybe the long distance, maybe his click didn't approve of him associating with me, maybe my arrogance pushed him away; whatever the case may be; it hurts because I never stopped respecting and admiring his work. 

   I know he'd been struggling with his health for the past few years and his mental health deteriorated quite a bit, which made it even harder for me because I knew I missed my chance to make amends, to explain to him that I always enjoyed our time together and always had fun hanging out with him; but like it usually happens I waited too long to say or do anything and now I have to live with it. Hopefully he's in a better place now, hopefully he sees the love towards him from our community, from his friends and hopefully he sees my heart and feels my sorrow and regret for waiting too long. I'll miss you and your work Guelo, and so will many, many more people! Rest in Peace and always... YUKA SLASH!!!

PS. Here are some photos from various events we spend time together. 

   When you talk about the true comic book titans it doesn't matter who you ask, they'll inevitably mention George Perez and with good reason; George worked on pretty much every title at Marvel and DC Comics with great success at both. To say he's the most successful and respected comic book artist of Puerto Rican decent is an understatement, since he's one of the best comic book artists the World has ever seen; period! 

   George Pérez was born in the South Bronx, New York City, on June 9, 1954, to Jorge Guzman Pérez and Luz Maria Izquierdo, who were both from Caguas, Puerto Rico, but who did not meet until approximately 1949 or 1950, after both had settled in New Jersey while searching for job opportunities. Pérez' first involvement with the comics industry was as artist Rich Buckler's assistant in 1973, and he made his professional debut in Marvel Comics Astonishing Tales #25 (Aug. 1974) as penciler of an untitled two-page satire of Buckler's character Deathlok, star of that comic's main feature. Soon after Pérez became a Marvel Comics regular artist, penciling a run of "Sons of the Tiger", a serialized action-adventure strip published in Marvel's long-running Deadly Hands of Kung Fu magazine and authored by Bill Mantlo. He and Mantlo co-created the White Tiger (the first Puerto Rican superhero in comics), a character that soon appeared in Marvel's color comics, most notably the Spider-Man titles.

   Pérez came to prominence with Marvel's superhero-team comic The Avengers, starting with issue #141. In the 1970s, Pérez illustrated several other Marvel titles, including The Inhumans and The Fantastic Four.  Whilst most of Pérez' Fantastic Four issues were written by Roy Thomas or Len Wein, it would be a Fantastic Four Annual where he would have his first major collaboration with writer Marv Wolfman. Pérez drew the first part of writer Jim Shooter's "The Korvac Saga", which featured nearly every Avenger who joined the team up to that point. Writer David Michelinie and Pérez created the Taskmaster in The Avengers #195 (May 1980).

   In 1980, while drawing The Avengers for Marvel, Pérez began working for their rival DC Comics. Offered the art chores for the launch of The New Teen Titans, written by Wolfman, Pérez' real incentive was the opportunity to draw Justice League of America. Long-time Justice League artist Dick Dillin died right around that time, providing an opportunity for Pérez to step in as regular artist. While Pérez' stint on the JLA was popular with fans, he received greater attention for his work on The New Teen Titans, which was launched in a special preview in DC Comics Presents #26 (October 1980). This incarnation of the Titans was intended to be DC's answer to Marvel's increasingly popular X-Men comic, and it became highly successful.  

   Pérez took a leave of absence from The New Teen Titans in 1984 to focus on his next project with Marv Wolfman, DC's 1985 50th-anniversary event, Crisis on Infinite Earths. Crisis purportedly featured every single character DC owned, in a story which radically restructured the DC universe's continuity. After Crisis, Pérez inked the final issue of Superman (issue #423) in September 1986, over Curt Swan's pencils, for part one of the two-part story "Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" by writer Alan Moore. The following month, Pérez was one of the artists on Batman #400 (October 1986). Wolfman and Pérez teamed again to produce the History of the DC Universe limited series to summarize the revised history of their fictional universe. 

   Pérez also played a key role in the 1987 reboot of the Wonder Woman franchise. Inspired by John Byrne and Frank Miller's work on Superman and Batman, Pérez came in as the plotter and penciler of the series, which tied the character more closely to the Greek gods and jettisoned many other elements of her history.  The series was a very successful relaunch of one of DC's flagship characters. Pérez worked on the title for five years, leaving as artist after issue #24, but remaining as writer up to issue #62, leaving in 1992. Pérez returned to the character in 2001, co-writing a two-part story in issues #168–169 with writer/artist Phil Jimenez. Pérez also drew the cover for Wonder Woman #600 (Aug. 2010) as well as some interior art. For the successful 2017 Wonder Woman feature film, director Patty Jenkins would credit Pérez's work on the title character as a major influence, on par with the work of the original creator, William Moulton Marston.

   There's so much more we could talk about, so many titles he worked on, so many anecdotes from fans and peers alike that it would take a thousand blog posts to even make a dent; but I just want to shine a spotlight on how gigantic of an impact he made in the industry. Me personally, I didn't appreciate his work early on because I was looking more for expression and flash rather than detail and craftsmanship. I was more into Kirby and/or McFarlane, talk about contrast! But as I grew up and dabbled in illustration myself, I finally understood the importance of what George Perez did; and even more so for me since we're both of Puerto Rican decent.

   It's crazy to think that the World celebrates George Perez' legacy, yet in Puerto Rico no news channel or outlet even knows who he is; much less talk about him. To me it's a perfect example of why art means so little in Puerto Rico unless you paint a traditional scene or do graffiti; the knowledge and understanding of art is EXTREMELY LIMITED in The Island of Enchantment. You would think that the media over there would celebrate someone who's had such an illustrious career but like I said, they have a very limited concept of art. I truly hope the people of Puerto Rico give George the respect he deserves before he passes away but if they haven't done it thus far, I don't see it happening; which is truly sad. Nevertheless, he has legions of fans who adore him, who've shown him love throughout the years and will treasure his work for generations to come; George Perez will live on forever through his work and through his fans.

​Long Live Perez! 

   On Saturday, February 5th, 2022 Greg Steele in association with Local Heroes and Smartmouth Brewing Company hosted "Norfolk's Original Indie Comics Expo"... NOICE! This was the first year I was a part of the event so I wasn't sure what to expect in terms of attendance, atmosphere, organization and/or how sales would be. I am pleased to say the event was a huge success in every sense of the word! 

   For me specifically, it went great! Made a bunch of sales, made some great contacts, had a chance to chat with some amazing creators and colleagues, finally met a few creators I only knew from social media and interacted with the fans after such a long time; this was truly a great event for me. Some people came to our table and told me "I follow you on Instagram and wanted to buy your book in person and have you sign it", others said "I follow you on Instagram and saw that you were here so I wanted to meet you"; it felt great to know that there are people who really love your work and are interested in what we do; it makes the long hours behind a drawing board and a computer worthwhile. 

​   Sometimes as creators we feel like we're just talking to ourselves on the internet because maybe we don't get a bunch of interactions, we don't get a thousand Likes or comments but what days like yesterday tell me is that there are people looking at what we do and are genuinely interested in our work; so we must keep on doing what we love and trust that your fans will show up like they did for me at NOICE.

    I have to say, I was a bit hesitant about my decision to print Project: New Wave No.3 as a Mini-Comic although I loved how they turned out, but after seeing the fans reactions and even casual people who stopped by our table out of curiosity; I know I made the right choice! So, I'll be changing the format of my comics to Mini-Comics size and they'll be printed on newsprint paper like in the old days; if I'm going to stay indie then I'm not going to contrive our product to the rules of mainstream comics. We'll pave our own way and whatever happens, happens. 

   I'd like to give a huge shoutout to my table mate Miguel Dominado for not only being extremely professional in his approach, but also for being a genuinely good person, being aware of the fact that I was handicapped since I couldn't use my left arm, making sure I wasn't having anxiety or was in too much pain; that means a lot and I'll never forget that. I'll share a table with you anytime my friend! I also want to send a huge shoutout to the amazing @yokaniii @saberdog.art @micah_myers and @lionbyrd for showing love and being awesome, you made the day even better for me by just showing up; it meant a lot. So what can I say, amazing show and I can't wait for NOICE 2023!

   Think Indie is a BRAND NEW indie comics podcast produced and distributed exclusively by The Comic Crusaders Podcast Network.

   Hosted by Dodgy @Dodgy86inthemix , Tracy @reikiwithtracy , Paul @paulgomez790 and Manny @truthfulcomics, the crew will focus on smaller indie publishers rather than Image Comics, Dark Horse or Archie just to give you an example.

​   This podcast is for the underground creators, the unknown publishers that are trying to make their mark in the vast landscape of comic books. Join us and discover the next comics superstars and the best comic book series you haven't seen or read yet!

And remember, the next time you go out to buy comic books... THINK INDIE!!!

   The SunderKatz is the premier vidcast discussing Indie Comics Publishers. This is a Publisher Specific Show from The Comic Crusaders Podcast Network. Join the Katz & learn about the amazing content from the vast number of independent publishers putting out so many amazing books on a monthly basis.

   On each episode "​The Katz" will discuss and review four titles from one specific publisher. Manny will focus on the art, Paul will focus on the writing, Tracy will focus on all the Behind-The-Scenes information she can dig up from the particular publisher they're discussing and Dodgy will serve as the main host and wrangle "the Katz" in; or try to at least. The Katz are: Dodgy @Dodgy86InTheMix , Manny @truthfulcomics , Paul @paulgomez790 and Tracy @reikiwithtracy . 

You can watch every episode of The Sunder Katz exclusively on the Comic Crusaders You Tube Channel HERE! 

NOICE IS BACK! & STILL FREE TO ATTEND!

12-6 PM Feb 5th at Smartmouth, with a screening of Cryptozoo after the show!

**PROOF OF VACCINATION REQUIRED TO ATTEND** GET YOUR BOOSTER SHOTS! IT'S NOT HARD!

ALL AGES WELCOME but not all comics are kid-friendly. They may contain wieners and cuss words and children can't drink beer, you bozo! :)

NORFOLK'S FIRST ALTERNATIVE COMIX SHOW!
Buy art and comic books, mostly hand-made, directly from underground creators. You can do this while drinking, thanks to the fine folks at Smartmouth.

SPECIAL GUESTS:
-Katie Skelly - http://www.katieskellycomics.com/
-Dash Shaw - https://www.dashshaw.net/

There will be independent publishers and dealers also. Dig through Jason Hamlin's legendary bins of rare weirdo comix, purchase the NOICE 2022 Exclusive Project: New Wave No.3 Mini-Comic by Manuel Carmona https://www.instagram.com/m_a_carmona/ or get yourself a portrait sketch done by Miguel Dominado https://www.instagram.com/migueldraws/ ; there's something for everyone! Oh, And #Bippycat will be back!
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Sponsored by Local Heroes Comics.
https://www.facebook.com/localheroescomics
Follow NOICE on Instagram @noicenorfolk
E-mail: noicenorfolk@gmail.com.

Hey everyone! Another day for another blog! Today we briefly tackle The Big Flavor!
Originally part of a 100 Days of Making Comics challenge, it was not published. I have all the original designs and sketches, and while the comic pages got damaged in a flood, I am drawing it from scratch and will be posted on Saturdays after Weepaman y Weepito end season 1 in a fee weeks.
I will be posting teasers throughout the weeks, so please look forward to it!
​-Alvaro