Zombies and Monsters, Oh My!

Hey guys,

Back in November I did an interview with Tom Waters of Monsters of Verse podcast. You can listen to it on Think Twice Radios website or download it right to your computer from here.



I'm featured in Episode VII. The whole podcast is hilarious but if you want to skip to my bit I start at 10:43.

Also featured in the interview are Zombie Ink friends John Kindelan and Terry Kimmel. So head on over and check it out.

- K.

The Red Eye Busted

Hey guys,

I'm very excited to announce that Zombie Ink Comics is working in conjunction with mask-maker and sculptor extraordinaire Matt Patterson to bring you guys Red Eye busts.

They're going to be roughly 6" tall very similar to the Bowen busts. The bust was designed by yours truly and will be sculpted by the good Mr. Patterson! Well, that should be enough to get you folks salivating. More info to come very very soon!

- K.

The Red Eye Vol. 1 & Pulp #1 Preview

Hey guys,

I've got a big official type news post for you folks. First and foremost it's time to release the details for The Red Eye Volume 1: Lost to the Future. The first TPB will feature:

- All 6 Issues of the Lost to the Future story arc
- Pinup Gallery featuring Jerry Lange, Joe Dunn, and Monk
- Faux Red Eye comic covers by Kyle J. Kaczmarczyk
- Introduction by Futureproof author N. Frank Daniels

Second on the agenda is the preview for Pulp: The Old Kingdom # 1. Check it out below:



Enjoy!

- K.

Webcomics Extravaganza!!!

Hey guys. As you folks may or may not I got my start in the webcomics world. And while I don't do webcomics anymore I still have a huge love for the medium. There are a lot of guys who are just insanely talented and are literally giving away their work. So here's my list of some of the best. These are all comics I read on a regular basis:

Questionable Content
Undenialbly my all time favorite. QC combines romance, indie rock, robots, and razor wit. What more could you want?

Digital Pimp Comics
The Digital Pimp guys put out some seriously hilarious shit. My favorite is still Joe Dunn's Joe Loves Crappy Movies but all of the comics on there are wonderful. Plus Mr. Dunn has some nice things about my comics.

Apple Geeks
Okay, Apple Geeks pretty much makes me feel like a complete hack as an artist. The art guy Mohammad Haque is seriously brilliant and could just as easily be working at any of the big companies. The first collection of their stuff is actually being released by Dark Horse soon!

Nothing Nice to Say & My Stupid Life
NN2S is punk rock awesomeness in comic strip format and MSL is semi-autobiographical insanity. Both comics are hilarious and should be read from beginning to end. NN2S will also be coming out through Dark Horse soon.

A Softer World
I don't know if this is technically a webcomic or what. But it's seriously got razor edged humor and makes me laugh myself silly probably more than is appropriate.

Dinosaur Comics
Another absolutely hilarious albeit absurd comic. T-Rex might be the funniest character in webcomics period.

VG Cats
I love me some gamer humor and this was the first gamer comic I got into. So yeah. Glee!

Penny Arcade
I actually used to think these guys were the most over-opinionated jackholes on the face of the earth. I was so, so wrong. And am pretty damned ashamed of myself for thinking so. Or maybe I just realized that I agree with them 99% of the time.

Anders Loves Maria
I just recently discoved this comic thanks to Jeph of Questionable Content and absolutely fell in love with the art and the characters. Really really funny and really awesomely drawn.

Bird and Moon & 55 Word Stories
Again probably not really a web comic but Rosy Mary Mosco is a bloody brilliant writer and draws birds better than any other human on the face of the earth.

Well, that's all for now. You have my current recommendations, I'm sure I'll be doing another one of these soon enough.

- K.

The Red Eye #6 Preview

Here were are with the final preview for the Lost to the Future story arc. I can't believe we're finally here. With this issue everything comes to a head and it's time for good ol' Red to show what he's made of. Enjoy.



- K.

The Knockdown Will Rock Your Socks Off (and Get You Drunk)

Hey all,

My dear, dear friends, The Knockdown, have a new record coming out called Test/Retest on Kiss of Death Records. It is fucking amazing and you guys should all check it out with the free streaming player below. Also head on over to their Myspace: www.myspace.com/theknockdown and check out their tour schedule to see if they are playing near you. I will be attending the Buffalo, NY show if anyone wants to come out. Well, that's all for now.

Zombie Ink Loves EC

Hey guys,
Zombie Ink Comics is coming out with our very first 11 x 17" poster. It's certainly an homage to EC covers (Tales from the Crypt, Two-Fisted Tales, Weird Science, etc.) more specifically, Tales from the Crypt #24. These are going to be available through our new printer within the next couple of months at a very affordable price. But without further delay here is the artwork that you guys have to look forward to.



Let me know what you guys think.

- K.

Doctor Doom Colors

Hey guys,

Got another one of my coloring experiments up. This one is of the ever-evil Dr. Doom as done by Tony Moore. If you're not familiar with Tony Moore go check out any number of projects including his stuff on Fear Agent, The Walking Dead, or The Exterminators! Seriously, I consider Tony one of my biggest influences and he is easily one of the best guys out there right now. Well, let me know what you guys think of the colors.



- K.

Futureproof but not Publisher Proof

Hey guys. Here's the piece that I did for N. Frank Daniels' masterpiece Futureproof. Unfortunately, the publisher put the kabash on my art. I still wanted to share it with you folks 'cause I love the piece and I think Frank and I had a really tremendous concept.



But you guys should go over to Frank's MySpace and check out the actual cover art. It is pretty bad ass. And you best buy copies (like more than one) of Futureproof when it comes out!

- K.

PREVIEW: The Red Eye Issue #5

EDIT: Don't worry I caught my typo... I'm just too lazy to remake the preview.

Hey folks,
I have a preview for you all and in April none-the-less. Here's a lovely 7-page preview of The Red Eye: Lost to the Future Issue 5! Sorry to leave ya'll hanging before the action gets going, but I gotta make you want to buy the thing somehow! Issue #5 is coming out May 2008!



- K.

A Means to an End

Hey guys,

The guys at Headless Actor and QUIJIBO asked me to do the artwork for their upcoming compilation of Buffalo, NY bands A Means to an End: Volume 3. And how the fuck could I say no to Jay from Lemuria and Mark from The Exit Strategy? I couldn't. So here it be:



It'll be coming out May 1st. So make sure you go and get your copy of this awesome record. Here's the track listing to sweeten the pot:
1. The Failures' Union - West Coast, NY
2. The Lochs - Slow Motion
3. London vs New York - Youth Movement
4. The Exit Strategy - The First, The Finest
5. Needle Up - Thrill City
6. Lemuria - Get Some Sleep
7. White York - Changing The Wheel
8. The Rabies - Ghost In The Graveyard
9. The Hammond Shutdown - Lately Haley
10. La Cacahouette - Bomb Parts
11. Roger Bryan - Gun Money
12. The Missing Planes - Rewind + Repeat
13. Johnny Nobody - Lies Float
14. Patrons of Sweet - Gold Cake
15. Unwelcome Guests - Stuck In The Bend
16. Ice Cream Social - Roggy Taught Me How To Farm
17. Besnyo - No!
18. Sleeping Kings Of Iona - Original Soundtrack To The Universe
19. Tearwave - Lotus Flower
20. The Grade Grubbers - Candy Land
21. Mark Norris and The Backpeddlers - Walk Out
22. Tracy Morrow - Cold Silver Necklace

- K.

Lemuria Are my Home Boys (and Home Girl)

Hey guys,

My dear friends Lemuria are going on tour this spring with The Queers and to kick off the tour they're having a killer show here in Buffalo (our shared hometown) featuring The Ergs!, Bomb the Music Industry, and Tearwave. Anyway, your truly got the tremendous pleasure of doing the poster for this momentous event! So, of course, being the Lemuria-whore that I am, I agonized for weeks trying to come up with a design worthy of my indie-rock friends. Here's what I came up with. Hope you guys like it.



- K.

P.S. I swear I'll post pics from the book fair soon, I've just been retarded busy.

PREVIEW: The Red Eye Issue #4

Here it is! The preview for The Red Eye: Lost to the Future Issue #4. I am so excited about where this whole thing is going that I really can't wait to share the rest of the story with you guys. So here it is:



- K.

P.S. Pictures from The Buffalo Small Press Book Fair coming soon!

It's Back from the Grave!

Hey folks,

I got some new art for all y'all. It's the blank poster art for Rotten Jack's Creep Show 2!!! The show will be taking place this September here in Buffalo yet again. And, of course, yours truly will be there with my weird wares. So without further notice here it be...



- K.

EXERCISE

Hey folks,

When I do coloring exercises I like to use other guys pencils & inks to help me think outside of my normal habits. So for this one I found a killer Batman pic on Jim Lee's MySpace and did the colors for it. If you don't know who Jim Lee is... well... shame on you. You should immediately go out and pick up a copy of All-Star Batman written by the legendary Frank Miller and drawn by Jim Lee. Alright no more talk... picture time... enjoy! Let me know what you folks think.


- K.

The Red Eye #3 is HERE!!

Alright folks,

Well, it's obscenely late but after 13 hours of work yesterday The Red Eye: Lost to the Future #3 is officially out for you purchasing pleasure. Head on over to the Lulu Storefront and get your copy! Also Issue #4 will be coming out this month as planned. I am going to make damn sure of that. And now that I'm back on a decent schedule I know I can keep that promise barring some horrific accident. So thanks for sticking with us on this and keep checking back for more good stuff!



- K

PREVIEW: The Red Eye Issue #3

That's right folks. I've got a 6 page preview of the new issue of The Red Eye: Lost to the Future. I really think the art looks even better than Issues 1 and 2. Hopefully, you'll all agree. I'm gonna do my damndest to get Issue #3 out this weekend which shouldn't be too much of a problem as long as I stay on track. So without further delay here it is. Enjoy.

Update

Hey folks,

I know I've been M.I.A. recently. You have my apologies, but there hasn't really been a ton to discuss. I've just been trying to churn out Issue #3 of The Red Eye. Though I do have one announcement.

Zombie Ink Comics is now on MySpace. That's right your favorite underground comics company wants to be your friend. So head on over to: www.myspace.com/zombieink and add us immediately.

Well, that be it for now. Adios.

- K.

Issue #3 Soon

Hey everyone,

As you've no doubtly figured out Issue #3 is going to be a bit late. You have my apologies, but my work schedule just got out of hand and I fell terribly behind. But I'm busting my hump to get it together for a February release and I'm gonna do my best to get Issue #4 out on time in March as planned. But Issue #3 is coming along very well and I'm actually thrilled with some of the art. The stuff is looking better with each issue. Perhaps one day it will actually be good. But I just wanted this post to let you guys know that I am hard at work and haven't forgotten about you guys. Well that's all for now folks. Adios.

- K.

Best of 2007

Here's my best of 2007 for Movies, Music, and Video Games. So here we go.

TOP 10 VIDEO GAMES

10. Assassin's Creed (Xbox 360, PS3)
Beautiful graphics and interesting game play got it in my top 10, but a bit too much repetativeness prevented it from placing higher.

9. Dracula X Chronicles (PSP)
Call me old school, but I love a good side-scrolling adventure game. And the Castlevania games have always been some of the best. Dracula X keeps the faith.

8. Lost Planet (Xbox 360, PC)
A lot of folks probably forgot about this game as it came out in January. But Capcom gave fans of giant robots all we could ask for in this mech smashing, alien blasting, memory wiping adventure.

7. The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (DS)
Link is back again with the classic Zelda format which normally would have been enough for me, but throw in some killer touch-screen integration and you've got a Top 10 Game.

6. Rock Band (Xbox 360, PS3, PS2)
Music games are all the rage and Harmonix just does it best. After handing off Guitar Hero III to Activision, the folks at Harmonix decided to kick it up a notch and add vocals and drums to the equation. Tack on the killer downloadable content that's been available from day one and you've got yourself a winner.

5. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (Xbox 360, PS3, PC, DS)
Sure, the market is saturated with first person shooters. But the guys at Infinity Ward are some of the best at it and that's saying a lot considering this years competition. The guys finally nailed the perfect campaign and multiplayer combination.

4. Halo 3 (Xbox 360)
Bungie aren't considered the guys who reinvented the FPS for no reason. Halo 3 combined an awesome campaign mode with a fucking tremendous multiplayer mode with countless game-types, plus video/photo capture, and map editing! My hat's off to you Bungie.

3. The Orange Box (Xbox 360, PS3)
What can I say? Half-Life 2, Episodes 1 & 2, Team Fortress, and Portal all in one box. What? Are you on crack? Go buy it now!

2. Bioshock (Xbox 360, PC)
2K Boston completely pushed the boundaries of epic storytelling in this game. Oh yeah, and it's fucking fun as all hell and amazing looking. And c'mon you can shoot bees out of your hand! BEES!!!

1. Mass Effect (Xbox 360)
Bioware made Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, which is pretty much one of the best games ever. Mass Effect is actually better. I shouldn't have to say more, but I will. The level of exploration is wonderful, there's tons of side missions, the combat is real time with some pretty bad-ass moves, and the conversation system is revolutionary. And to top it all off, the story is fantastic.

TOP 10 ALBUMS

10. Against Me! - New Wave
Against Me! may not be subtle but they sure know how to write a good punk song with socio-political lyrics. And this album is just too much damn fun to listen to!

9. John Schmitt - John Schmitt
Okay, I might be a bit biased considering John and I have been friends since 1999 and have played music togther on and off over the years. But it doesn't make this record any less tremendous. Heart felt lyrics, beautiful melodies and wonderful arrangements make this a must have album.

8. Tegan & Sarah - The Con
Tegan & Sarah don't need to con anyone about their songwriting skill. The indie folk sisters and crew still churn out some of the best music out there. And The Con just continues in that vein.

7. Lemuria / The Ergs - Split EP
Okay, I'm not usually huge on splits or EP's but this one is just too damn good to not be included this year. Lemuria bring their wonderful indie-pop goodness to the table while the Ergs show why they're on the rise as one of the best pop-punk bands out there and their cover of "Hey Jealousy" is just not to be missed.

6. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Some Loud Thunder
Lots of folks thought CYHSY were going to be a one-time thing when their self-titled debut record blew away folks in 2005. But they were wrong. Some Loud Thunder shows the artistic growth of a band that's going to be around for a very long time.

5. The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
The Arcade Fire's 3rd album does not disappoint. While it's not as memorable as Funeral, it's still as an anthemic as its predecessor and a masterpiece in its own right. The Canadian rockers stay true to form with lush arrangements and thoughtful lyrics making this a must buy.

4. Get Him Eat Him - Arms Down
Get Him Eat Him are probably the best band you've never heard of. Electro-pop meets indie-punk on GHEH's 2nd full-length album. And it's a wonderfully odd record that cannot be missed.

3. Iron & Wine - The Shepherd's Dog
Iron & Wine continues to put out some of the best indie-folk period. The songs on The Shepherd's Dog seem more lush and layered than anything that's come before it, making it that much more of a rewarding experience to listen to.

2. Elliott Smith - New Moon
Elliott Smith may be long gone, but as unreleased songs keep turning up he continues to be one of the most profound and heart-wrenching song writers of our time.

1. The Gunshy - There's No Love in This War
The Gunshy is at the top of his game with this newest release. The songs are based on letters written by this grandfather during WWII and are absolutely heartbreaking. Matt Arbogast is truly at his best on this record and shows a true return to form not seen since No Man's Blues.

TOP 10 MOVIES

10. 300
Zakk Snyder's adaptation of Frank Miller's epic graphic novel not only realized the fantastic art style and story from Miller's original work but added to it!

9. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Okay, I am a self-proclaimed Tim Burton whore. The only movie he's done that I didn't like was Planet of the Apes. But Todd thrilled me. From the wonderful songs, to Burton's signature style, and Depp's terrifying turn as the killer himself this movie was gold.

8. Aliens versus Predator - Requiem
Finally! AVP done right! Now don't get me wrong this is no Ridley Scott or James Cameron film. But it finally feels like a proper heir to the Alien and Predator franchises.

7. The Hitcher
This flick bombed in the theater, but was a great remake of the 1980's original. Is Sean Bean as creepy as Rutger Hauer? No, but he's way more badass. And the scene with the Trans Am and "Closer" is fucking amazing. Still the most memorable scene of the year.

6. Planet Terror
Man, I could kiss Robert Rodriguez for this movie. Everything I've ever loved about B-Movie Horror is in this flick. Zombies, Babes, Michael Biehn. I could not have asked for more.

5. Spider-man 3
Admittedly this is probably the worst Spidey flick to date. But there were some really tremendous action scenes, the casting was spot-on as always, and Venom was just badass (albeit not in the movie nearly long enough.)

4. Transformers
Transformers was the only movie this summer that I did not walk out of disappointed in one way or another. I was actually pleasantly surprised by this one. Sure the characters weren't the most indepth ever, but when push comes to shove we just wanted to see the Autobots and Decepticons throw down anyway.

3. Halloween
Okay. I hate Rob Zombie's films. Hate. But this just proves what the guy can do with some solid source material. I enjoyed the background and fleshing out of Michael Meyers. It just really brought the character into the real world. Though one can't help but wonder if Zombie is capable of writing characters who aren't white-trash.

2. Pirates of the Carribbean: At World's End
Captain Jack Sparrow returns in this wonderful final chapter of the Pirates saga. My only complaint is that the sword fight between Jack and Jones wasn't long enough. But I really cannot complain about anything else in this film. And I give the guys a lot of credit for not trying to cop out to some fairy tale ending!

1. Live Free or Die Hard
After far too many years doing stuff I could care less about (except Sin City and Planet Terror) Bruce Willis returns to form as John McClaine doing what he does best. Now I gotta be honest this would not have made it to 1 if it weren't for the Unrated Cut on the DVD that truly feels like a Die Hard flick as opposed to the PG-13 version released in the theaters. But it's got all the bang for your buck you could ask for. So thank you, Bruce, for a return to form.