a big mixed bag of ripoff and sleaze

[davemerrill]

Stupid Comics is back with another category-blurring comic that defies easy description. It's a super hero comic set as a flashback told from a wizardy post-apocalyptic world, featuring characters with big anime eyes, shameless swiping from one of the more famous silver age Spider-Man comics, and a lurid, sleazy interest in showcasing the female anatomy.



It's an Antarctic Press comic, which means I am two degrees away from the person responsible, and probably attended the same A-Kon social functions in the 90s. AP put out a lot of these comics; barely professional, edited not at all, impenetrably written, lettered with teeny tiny lettering, created by a specific class of fan for a specific class of fan. There was always a segment of the comic book buying market that wanted comics that looked as if they were influenced by Japanese cartoons, but were not ACTUALLY Japanese cartoons. The licensed Robotech books, the Ninja High Schools, the et ceteras. I bought my share of those things, before any actual Japanese product was available, but once actual Japanese comics became attainable, I dropped the ersatz and never went back. I don't know that AP ever moved past that aesthetic; the books always had that feel of a gang of friends making comics for each other and sharing them around a table, telling each other to make the female character's breasts larger, handing out the latest manga from the Japanese grocery store for reference purposes. I dunno, they're still in business, they must be doing something somebody likes.

Comments

[warpig1979.livejournal.com]

Work has I think two in-store subscribers to Gold Digger. Older guys, mid-later 40s at least. Reckon you pretty much have it -- AP has a certain following that froze in amber around 1996 or so. AP will keep making the same thing and those few guys will keep buying the same thing until they all croak en masse in maybe 15-20 years. Nobody in the outside world will notice.