This past weekend I attended the second Plastic City Comic Con. This year the show made the jump from a small VFW hall in Leominster to the mighty Wallace Civic Center in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. I saw my first concert at the Civic Center, and for decades the venue used to sub as the “Boston” leg…
Writing
“Independent punk rock master of darkness”
The good folks at Monkeys Fighting Robots were kind enough to do a Creator Spotlight write-up on me and highlight my recent comics Voodoo Bird and Crypt Zero. Writer Brandon Griffin described me as an “independent punk rock master of darkness”, which, y’know, I’ll take. Check out the feature here: http://www.monkeysfightingrobots.com/creator-spotlight-eric-radvon/
Colonial Comics: New England 1750 – 1775
Colonial Comics New England: 1750-1775 is here, and it is a great looking book. I’m humbled to be in the company of so many talented comic creators. The variety of styles, voices, and stories assembled by Jason Rodriguez and his team really makes this a unique and special collection. My contribution is titled “The Call…
Running on Empty in Winter 2017
Hello from the depths of winter 2017. My mental, physical, and spiritual reserves are at their natural nadir. The days are rusty gears grinding away- not much goes easy, but the job is getting done nonetheless. It was 65 degrees yesterday, in February, and the warm wind was exhilarating in its apocalyptic wrongness. I’ve moved,…
Cheap Thrills of a Cheap Age
So you kick out 3 million. Does the factory reopen? Do the shops come back to the decimated main street you walked as a kid? Do the Cadillacs roll by blasting something by Brenda Lee? Is everyone smiling and happy? Are things the way they ought to be? Maybe you hear less Spanish at the…
Crypt Zero – Postmortem ramblings about making an indie comic
This is the afterword for Crypt Zero, produced by the writer version of Erik Radvon, and axed from publication by the budget-minded publisher version of Erik Radvon. It is presented here as a companion piece to the comic book. Welcome to the Land of the Living, Crypt Zero All living things share the same plodding…
Every Second Counts – DC Universe Rebirth and the Rebellion of Hope
I’ve left my house at midnight for some ridiculous things before- movies, video games, unwise culinary selections- but Tuesday marked the first time I did it for a comic. The book in question is DC Universe Rebirth #1, the much-hyped reset of the DC Comics universe under the hand of writer Geoff Johns and a…
Comic Review: BLACK WIDOW #1
Black Widow #1 Review by: Erik Radvon Story by Chris Samnee and Mark Waid Art by Chris Samnee Color Art by Matthew Wilson Lettering by VC’s Joe Caramagna Cover by Chris Samnee & Matthew Wilson Publisher – Marvel Comics Cover Price – $3.99(USD) Release Date: Mar 2, 2016 Rating: 4/5 stars There’s a pendulum in…
The Twilight Zone Election
I’ve followed American politics since before I could vote, finding it exciting and captivating, sometimes even fun. I naively and mistakenly thought I was accustomed to all the various tricks the murderous bloodsport had to offer, its unpredictable lurching, its penchant for absurd twists and turns. I should be used to it. The first election…
Roach Dude Election Special ’16 – aka Fun with Manga Studio
Hello internet. I just got Manga Studio 5 and a cheap Wacom tablet so I can make cheap comics for cheap laughs. Note: I’m a writer, and my artistic output illustrates that wonderfully. Don’t hate. Here are breakdowns of my first output, a patriotic mini-comic called ROACH DUDE ELECTION SPECIAL ’16.
Trainspotting and the Ghost of ‘Sally’
I’ll call her ‘Sally’ out of respect for the dead. We worked together at McDonald’s, the last refuge of scoundrels and lower-middle class ambitions. Fitchburg, Mass. long had strong undercurrents of vice coursing through it. Heroin was no different. In the mid-90s, it roared to the top of the menu. It was often easier to…
Newsletter, Volume 0
My first newsletter is out in the wild, appropriately starting with Volume 0. Read it here: http://tinyletter.com/radvon/letters/free-radicals-a-newsletter-from-erik-radvon-volume-0 Subscribe here, if you’re into that kind of thing: http://tinyletter.com/radvon
Barcelona: City on the Edge of Tomorrow
Barcelona feels like a city on the edge of something new. Yes, the history is here, backed by a rich Catalan (don’t you dare call it Spanish) culture, and yes, there are plenty of museums and sights to take in, but unlike a lot of Europe the story doesn’t quite seem finished yet. It’s unusual…
When the Chips are Down
There’s a line in the 2005 movie Sin City that sticks with me. “A smoker’s a smoker when the chips are down.” I used to be a smoker, but years ago I chose life and dropped the vile habit. I now find my thrills by way of Starbucks espresso and sugar-free Jell-O Pudding , like…
Can Peter Parker Finally Grow Up?
It’s time to let go. It’s time to put the scrapbooks of teenage, wisecracking Peter Parker on the shelf. It’s time to hang-up the throwback perpetual bachelor fantasy. It’s time to put Spider-Man away. It’s time to let Peter Parker get old. I say this as a reader who came into funny books in the…