#ashcan press

[juicefacekillah]

Uggggh. Diamond fucked up and didn’t send my comic shop We Can Never Go Home #4 and now they are sold out. Hopefully I can track one down without having to wait for a reprint.

My shop also overcharged me by $60. They refunded it immediately but it still hasn’t shown up in my bank account yet.

Annnnd I overslept by three hours today.

[mycoa]

Entertainment Weekly article about We Can Never Go Home Again - a punk rock coming of age comic I did a variant cover for. read!

[eatgeekplay]

Throughout history, musicians have been stereotyped into being all about three things: sex, drugs, and rock and roll. Rarely do comic books fit into that narrative. Luckily for the nerd world, many musicians have been fans of comic books almost their entire lives. Patrick Kindlon is no exception to that fact. Pat is mostly known as the singer for the band Self Defense Family, but he has a lot of other stuff on his plate including other bands, writing and releasing comic books at Ashcan Press, and releasing records under the Deathwish Inc. imprint Harm Reduction Records. We took some time to talk to Pat about his love triangle with comics and music and how they all intersect.

  How did you first get into comic books? Do you remember your first issue?

The spinner rack at Fay’s Drugs in the local plaza. I have four siblings and we’re all pretty close in age, so my mother’s job for a decade was keeping us busy. We’d walk to the local shopping plaza almost every day. Spider-Man, Groo the Wanderer, and The Punisher all grabbed me immediately. And that was that. My interests and life-goals were set into motion at age five. I have to imagine the first was a Spider-Man title. At that time, there were three ongoing series and a reprint series. I probably could not have avoided Spider-Man if I tried.

What brought you to the decision to form Ashcan Press?

My future writing partner called me and said, “I know you want to do this for a living. I do too. Let’s keep each other motivated.” That’s all it took. A partnership is a support-system of a type, but it’s also a drill sergeant. If you have someone who relies on you, you’re less likely to slack. It’s also possible to cover twice as much ground through partnership, and compensate for each other’s deficiencies. It’s that Napoleon Hill idea of a Master Mind.

Could you explain how you got to work on 12 Reasons To Die with Ghostface Killah from Wu-Tang Clan?

I have to give credit for that to my writing partner, Matt Rosenberg. An opportunity came up and he didn’t let it pass us by. He and I have years of experience on both the artist and -pardon the rough usage- executive side of putting out music, so it made us viable candidates for the Ghostface gig. We ‘get it’ and that goes a long way with certain dudes.

What caused you to gravitate towards underground music?

I honestly couldn’t say. Maybe young people stuff, like a quest for identity. Or, maybe I’m contrary by nature. Or I received a brain injury where loud annoying things appeal to me. For whatever reason, it just clicked.

Could you give a brief history on Self Defense Family?

We used to perform under a different name. One day some band members sort of went insane and quit or got kicked out. I called the remaining guitarist and left a message, “hey, shit just went tits-up over here. I’d like to keep doing this, but it’s gonna be tough without you. Call me back and let me know what you want to do.” He called me back elated. “This is a nice opportunity. Let’s rebuild this shit like Robocop.” And that’s what we did. We created a band that had all the features of our previous incarnation, but with none of the headaches. We’re both independent people and like to be around independent people. So, we found lone wolf performers who are self-starters, and we created more of that Master Mind thing I talked about earlier. Since then, we’ve released a bunch of records and have a bunch more coming. Toured a bunch and will tour a bunch more. The band is amorphous and isn’t just one thing, but operates like a killing machine with talented people.

Have comic books ever branched into your music?

The LP we’ve got coming out in a few months has a song named for Steve Ditko and another for Dave Sim. Unrelated, we’ve got a project that has some comic/music crossover coming later in 2015. I’ll announce as soon as we’re far enough along with it. And, eventually, we’ll have a record with songs named after The Punisher story arcs.

I know you’re a big Earth Crisis fan, what did you think of the Liberator short run based on their new record? And if you were given the chance to do a band-based comic, who would it be with?

I haven’t caught up to it yet. Newer titles stack up on me. I’m not sure who I’d most want to work with in music. Does Dazzler count? Rappers do a great job of creating personal mythos around themselves, and they use fiction in their work much more than guitar-based musicians do these days. So, if I was creating a work of fiction, I’d lean towards a hip hop artist.

You seem to be a pretty busy guy: SDF, Drug Church, Ashcan Press, and your record label Harm Reduction all seem very involved. How do you manage to juggle everything at once?

Barely. Or, the people in my life who rely on me for attention or affection might say, I don’t manage to juggle everything at once. Everything I do is time-consuming with small financial payoff. That’s my lifestyle and I quite like it, but it doesn’t work as an online dating profile. I keep lists and I partner with equally motivated people. I’m starting a number of new enterprises in 2015. I already feel tired.

What are some current comic titles you’ve been into recently?

I’m grateful for Dark Horse repackaging Lone Wolf & Cub into omnibuses, but I get that doesn’t count as current. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Nightworld. I’m really impressed with The Fade Out because it deals in such familiar elements, but manages to stay interesting.

With all of your endeavors, I’m sure you have a plethora of projects coming out. What can we expect to see in the next year or so?

A new series in March. God willing, another in the summer. An OGN around that time too. Another OGN will be finished well before that, but finding a publisher for that one will be tough because of the content. Then, things that I sing on: I’ve got seven Self Defense releases, two Drug Church releases, a Loss Leader record, and a No Mystery God record. Harm Reduction Records will have four or five records come out, and another label I just started will have two or three. I’m keeping busy in 2015.

  Pat can be followed on Twitter at @selfdfens.

, #AshcanPress, #DrugChurch, #HarmReductionRecords, #OriginStories, #PatrickKindlon, #SelfDefenseFamily, ashcan press, drug church, harm reduction records, origin stories, patrick kindlon, Self Defense Family

[forbiddenplanetnyc]

TRY SOMETHING NEW Chapter 23: We’re Doomed! BY MATTHEW ROSENBERG

Tyler wants me to turn in my new column so he can go home. I have to write it first but he doesn’t know that yet. I don’t really know what to write about though because I mostly wanted to write about myself but Forbidden Planet is less excited about that. So after much arguing and fighting the lovely heads of Forbidden Planet have convinced me not to just rerun last weeks column where I fiercely recommended my book, TWELVE REASONS TO DIE #1, which is (still) on shelves now! So I am not going to mention TWELVE REASONS TO DIE #1. I am going to talk about a bunch of other books. Books I didn’t write. Books I don’t like as much as TWELVE REASONS TO DIE #1.

Oooh. Here is one I can support wholeheartedly! REGULAR SHOW #1 is out this week. Not only is it the very funny comic based on the very funny TV show, but if you are reading this on Wednesday (or have the ability to go back in time) the great Allison Strejlau, artist on The Regular Show comic will be signing at FORBIDDEN PLANET, starting at 6:30. I may bring doughnuts for Allison and maybe she would share with you. I may end up forgetting to bring donuts so don’t make her feel bad if she doesn’t have any to share. Also, the staff at Forbidden Planet tends to get all Gollum-y when there are sweets around so the do-nuts don’t always make it to the signing. (Please don’t go back in time just for the doenuts. That’s not ok.) Anyway, even if you can’t come to the signing buy the book. It is crazy and fun and weird. You could probably use those things in your life.

Forbidden Planet is a New York City comic book store and that is a heavy burden to bare sometimes. The Spirit is from here. Part of Maus take place here. The Avengers are from here. Part of Sandman takes place here. Cecil & Jordan are here. Jacques Tardi called New York his love. DMZ, Ultimatum, Watchmen, and countless other books attacked our city but never destroyed it. Ex Machina is about our mayor. Adrian Tomine sketches people on our subways. Frank Miller accosts poor people on our streets. Steve Ditko monitors all comings and goings from his secret lair. The ghost of Will Eisner haunts every inch of gentrified New York. Marvel is from here. DC is from here. Raw is from here. Valiant is from here. Archie is from here. Abrams is from here. There is an issue of The Authority that takes place in our very store for #$&@ sake. When you talk about New York you better do it with the gravitas it deserves. Charles Soule (27, Swamp Thing) has decided to throw his hat in the ring of New York stories and, thankfully for all involved, he comes out the other side unscathed. STRANGE ATTRACTORS is a beautiful, complex, and amazingly fun book about the mystical, mathematical, and all powerful forces that make up a city and the people who control and channel those forces. Equal parts Ex Machina, Sandman, and Planetary, this is one of those books that people will still be rereading, discussing and trying to better understand 10 years from now. If you want smart love letters to New York you have an awful lot to choose from, but this should be at the top of the heap.

INDESTRUCTIBLE HULK vol. 1 is out this week. Leinil Yu draws the hulk smashing stuff. That’s all you need to know.

I talk a lot about how good the new Image books are. A lot of people are reading the obvious stuff by the big guys- Fatale, Manhattan Projects, Walking Dead, Saga, etc. Here’s the thing, there are a lot of brilliant books that are flying under your radars and you should be picking them up without a doubt.HOAX HUNTERS vol 2 is out this week. On premise alone this book should be everyone’s favorite. A team of paranormal investigators who use their “Mythbusters” type show to discredit these phenomena while secretly dealing with them off camera. So much fun and about as good an ensemble cast as a comic is likely to have, if you haven’t grabbed HOAX HUNTERS do yourself a favor and pick up both trades this week. It was also just optioned by the suits in Hollywood so, much like Chew, 100 Bullets, and all the other in development tv/movie comics, you should expect everyone to be talking about this one in a few months. Most importantly though Hoax Hunters doesn’t go where you expect it, which is the best praise I can give a book like this.

Image also has their 4th volume of the hilarious and tragic LIL’ DEPRESSED BOY this week. Indie rock, unrequited crushes, and ragdoll of a guy make this book the heir apparent to the Scott Pilgrim throne. LIL’ DEPRESSED BOY is one of those books that will mean the world to a few people and will be missed by most others. You should buy it and see if you are one of those people who it will mean the world to, because being the person who falls in love real hard is always the better person to be.

Completing the trilogy of great Image tpb’s by their up and commers is PETER PANZERFAUST vol. 2. The little book that could, this book looked like it wouldn’t make it past 12 issues when it started, couldn’t find an audience, couldn’t get attention, and then… Something! One of the most talked about books of 2013, this tale of Peter Pan and friends fighting Nazi’s in WWII is a clever idea done well. There is not much more you can ask for out of a book. Smart and good? That should be enough for you.

Lastly, if I can’t talk about my book TWELVE REASONS TO DIE #1 (on shelves now) I will talk about the reprint of FIVE GHOSTS #2. That’s right. I am recommending a reprint. Why? I will give you 5 reasons because I am not very clever and the number 5 appears in the name of this book.

One of the best books of the year, this is just classic pulp adventures, nastiness and all. There’s nothing like it on shelves now and that is sad for us but great for Five Ghosts.

It is definitely one of the hottest indie books of the last few years. Finding a copy of issue #1 or #2 is becoming a herculean task so get it while you can.

Issue #3 comes out next week and ups the ante in every way. What was one of the best books of the year is about to become one of the best books of the last 10 years. Get on board now.

The brand new S.M. Viduarri cover is amazing. It goes perfectly with Chris Mooneyham’s moody and period appropriate interior art and Frank Barbiere’s tense and creepy script.

I WROTE THE BACKUP STORY!!! Ha! I tricked you! I got you excited about a book I am in without you even knowing it. Buy it for FIVE GHOSTS, stay for my 2 page story that begins here. Or just buy it for my story. I don’t really care.  Just buy it. Don’t be a square.