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THE JULY 2008 ZUDA COMPETITION IS ON! | | Check out the Top Ten Entries here before you vote! | | | By Josh Wigler | | Posted 7/11/2008 | |  | |  In this world, nothing is certain but death, taxes and new monthly Zuda competitions. Well, this month, Zuda's shaking up the normal routine by giving ten previous competitors a second chance at the title. That's right, sports fans, it's flat-out resurrection for ten of your fan favorite Zuda books! But only one of these titles will win the grand prize and truly rise from the dead—the other nine will need to be administered swift and merciless head-shots to put their blood-craving ungodly selves down for good. And you get to be that triggerman! Ain't life grand!?
Yes, we know it's a big decision, and it's not one that we here at Wizard take lightly. So before you decide which book lives and which ones die, do yourself a favor and check out our rundown of this month's all-star competition. Trust us, you'll sleep better at night having done so. | |
ARAKNID KID
Creative Team: Josh Alves
Summary: Set in the old west, the title character is the hero that triumphs over the villains of Obie City. Using spider-like abilities, quick thinking and unique "Trapeze-Bar Web-Shooters," our hero manages to find a way around any obstacle that presents itself. Araknid Kid does not "speak" but uses a series of picto-grams (hybrid rebus puzzles) to communicate.
What Josh Says: "If you're looking for a fun, all-ages superhero/adventure/comedy, check out Araknid Kid! It's 'Cranium' meets 'Comics' meets 'Saturday Morning Cartoons.' For extras and bonus materials, get behind the scenes at www.joshalves.com/araknidkid!"
What We Think: It might be a backhanded compliment to say that the lettering is the best part about a comic, but Josh's use of pictorial puzzles in Araknid Kid instead of traditional dialogue for his protagonist is a bold move that pays off big. Major kudos to you, sir!
Click here to read Araknid Kid!
BRAVE ULYSSES
Creative Team: Adam C. Moore
Summary: A young station-cop of the Interplanetary Enforcement Agencies has his humdrum life forever shaken as he follows duty's call into the vast frontiers of space with the men and women of the much-admired IEA Marshals Service.
What Adam Says: "Going by the usual criteria, Brave Ulysses is without a doubt 'space opera'—there will be rough-and-tumble, ultra-macho ship captains, faster-than-light travel, ray guns, blue-skinned princesses from faraway worlds, and even the occasional sword fight—but rather than being the typical kill-the-bad-guys/save-the-girl story, Brave Ulysses is much more about just hanging in there, coupled with the unfortunate truth that the right thing to do is almost always the wrong thing to do from someone else's point of view."
What We Think: Brave Ulysses has action, wit and drama all in one package. Its slow-bubbling story has enough potential to hold any reader's interest and then some. Plus, it's in space and has swords. Swords and space always make everything cooler!
Click here to read Brave Ulysses!
DEAD IN THE NOW
Creative Team: Corey Lewis
Summary: Braz, a clever but cynical kid, believes he's the most fortunate boy in the world when he discovers the world's first, authentic zombie: Z-Rex! Braz and his friends decide that they've had enough of Earth's monotonous routine and initiate "Project Z" where they usher in an age of chaotic, zombie-infested adventure! Gathering weapons and supplies, Braz sets his friends up like modern, urban Lost Boys with himself as their Pan. They hatch a terrible plot to set Z-Rex up as a "Zombie King" and create a dystopian future where only the strong survive and the rest are zombie food!
What Corey Says: "Dead in the Now promises to be an epic adventure. It's not a typical zombie story where characters are flung into the mayhem. This time, the characters CAUSE the mayhem, and the zombies are the heroes. From schoolyard antics to huge action scenes to pretty girls with samurai swords, Dead in the Now is a wild ride."
What We Think: We've heard of post-apocalyptic zombie adventures before, but Dead in the Now manages to twist the genre on its back, open up its belly and feast upon the innards gloriously for all the world to see. Who'da thunk we'd ever see a world where you actually root for zombies to eat the entirety of mankind? Actually, kind of sounds like modern day America. Baaaaa-zing!
Click here to read Dead in the Now!
JOE COMICS
The Creative Team: Gabe and Chachi Hernandez
Summary: If super powers existed, they would be randomly distributed across all demographics, not just the beautiful, sexy, wealthy, intelligent people with access to a great tailor that have traditionally populated comics. So where are the dorks with the lame powers dressed in stuff they found in the basement? The ‘heroes’ who haven’t hit the gym in a few years and scored a 650 on the SAT? Answer: HERE. Welcome to Joe Comics, a serialized satirical celebration of just how ridiculous super heroes and villains can be, but when each hero and villain is more like a dressed up fan at comic book convention instead of well-dressed, cut-from-marble Adonis.
What Chachi Says: "No offense to anyone, but if you're reading this, I'm betting you're a bit of a geek. As geeks ourselves, the material Joe Comics satirizes is near and dear to our hearts, and we have much more in common with these characters than we do the chiseled billionaire playboys we're used to in comics. So celebrate your geekdom and vote for Joe!"
What We Think: Though we don't appreciate Chachi calling us geeks, we do appreciate the non-stop laughter that Joe Comics provides. And don't think we don't know what you're up to with that ending, guys! A little heavy handed, ya think!? Trust us readers, Joe Comics ain't no average Joe!
Click here to read Joe Comics!
RE-EVOLUTION
Creative Team: Gus Higuera, Juan Felipe Salcedo
Summary: The year is 2013. All life on Earth was nearly destroyed by a series of environmental disasters called the "Great Change" and as animals take over the planet a war breaks out causing a rebellion—led by the brave and noble dog Chehuahua—to be born.
What Gus Says: "Chehahua the revolutionary dog and his crew of animals kicking ass with a thought-provoking storyline whose message is to promote harmony amongst all living things." 'Nuff said.
What We Think: Sure, Re-Evolution has cute and cuddly, but it's also got murder and mayhem... all with animals! The art is excellent and the story has great depth to boot. Will Guerilla Wild liberate the animals from Gorilla control? Vote for this book if you wanna find out!
Click here to read Re-Evolution!
RENO
The Creative Team: Dan Thompson
Summary: On a stormy winter night, a rugged big rig trucker, John Reno, gets into a mysterious and deadly game of cat and mouse. At a service station off the highway, a young owner and her son were to be murdered, and Reno stopped it from happening. What he doesn't know at the time, the worst is yet to come! As the storm rages on, a mystery starts to unfold. Who is this outlaw? Can Reno stop him before he strikes again?
What Dan Says: "Reno is a mystery action thriller about a man that walks into big trouble while trying to do the right thing. There's action, suspense, with a little humor. Reno is the modern day cowboy (substituting a horse for a big rig truck) who just left the military and decided to explore the country. Unfortunately for him, an evil gang leader named 'The Highwayman' wants to hang his crimes on Reno and frame him for the murder of a gas station employee and her son. What happens next? Depends on the voting and the amazing fans at Zuda Comics!"
What We Think: What impresses us the most about Reno? The fact that creator Dan Thompson has only been at it for 16 screens! This comic hits as hard as a big rig and keeps you riding along for dear life. Who is "The Highwayman?" Why does he want to set up Reno so badly? Who the heck knows, but we sure wanna find out!
Click here to read Reno!
TEACHERS
Creative Team: Gabe Ostley
Summary: Only these eccentrics are brave enough to face the ancient evil that lurks on campus and be back in time to grade all of those papers before Friday!
What Gabe Says: "Some teachers are monsters, some are heroes. There's something really strange going on at this high school on the edge of town and at the root of it is a boy who disappeared mysteriously 20 years ago. He was too small for his age then, but now he's back and can turn into a gigantic hellacious beast when provoked. Now imagine the whole thing drawn by your best friend and you're reading it in the back of class in his notebook. And your French teacher is in this book and she's hot. She also can kick your butt. That's what Teachers is like!"
What We Think: Here at Wizard, we never really cared for "hikes school." The bad skin, communal gym showers and please-lord-not-the-wedgies! Thankfully, Gabe has brought Teachers to our doorstep to remind us that high school can be quite monstrous—literally! And yes, our French teacher is in this book, and she can kick our butts. Mon dieu...
Click here to read Teachers!
THE CROOKED MAN
Creative Team: Gabriel Hardman & Corinna Sara Bechko
Summary: San Francisco, 1906. Officer Rassmussen's beat is Chinatown. Penn is a disfigured vet returning from the Boxer Rebellion. But why did it take Penn years to get home? And why is he hunting Rassmussen?
What Gabriel Says: "Revenge, strife, race relations and a really big earthquake. The Crooked Man is a self contained graphic novel presented as a webcomic. This means there are real consequences for the characters. People will live, people will die. It's Terry and the Pirates meets "The Wire!"
What We Think: This book is full of surprises, but the biggest surprise of all is that it isn't backed by HBO. The Crooked Man might be the greatest period crime drama that's not on television. Vengeance, history and blood all blend together in the grimy San Francisco streets. Trust us, 1906 has never been this awesome.
Click here to read The Crooked Man!
THE MUNDANE OVERRATED MISADVENTURES OF SPUDMAN
Creative Team: Rory McConville, Nacho Fernandez, Allen Freeman
Summary: The Mundane Overrated Adventures of Spudman is a mystical journey that spans continents, encompass entire nations, involves dynamic swordfights, beautiful women and all the other staples of a Hollywood blockbuster. An epic quest which will change the way we live our lives forever! Well... maybe.
What Rory Says: "When I first came up with the idea for Spudman, I wanted to basically do something fun and quirky. Nowadays it just seems like everyone only wants to write 'serious' comics. And yes, I do enjoy the darkness and grittiness of all of those, but I also enjoy purely ridiciulous good fun as well. Most of all, I wanted Spudman to be someone people can relate to. I mean, don't we all feel like a shrivelled potato man at some point in our lives?"
What We Think: There's certainly nothing mundane or overrated about this particular sack of potatoes. Give Spudman a chance, and we'll guarantee you'll never look at a french fry the same way again.
Click here to read The Mundane Overrated Misadventures of Spudman!
Editor's Note: No art was supplied.
UNTRUE TALES
Creative Team: Sam Little
Summary: These are the Untrue Tales of Gabriel Stein, hapless loser. Each story in the series will be a self-contained tale about life and how to waste it.
What Sam Says: "Untrue Tales is about the funny and not-so-funny things that happen while being unencumbered by a clue. It's a vast epic told in easily digestible bite-sized chunks. I plan to keep churning out Untrue Tales forever. Or until I get distracted by something bright and shiny."
What We Think: Ready for a true tale? Untrue Tales dedicates a full three screens to making an awkward erection joke. We. Kid. You. Not. Go read this hilarious comic immediately!
Click here to read Untrue Trales! | | | | | | | |
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