Optimum Wound

A boutique black and white comix publisher who celebrates razor sharp writing and badass pen and ink artistry.

The Last Days Of American Crime Book 2

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Published by Radical Comics
Written by Rick Remender
Art and colours by Greg Tocchini
Price tag: 4.99 US

After reading the first issue of the miniseries I was so gung ho about it that I couldn’t wait for this second issue to ship. Unfortunately this book shipped very late, almost 2 months overdue. Radical had built up a nice bit of steam with the first issue and to me this delay would only hurt the series. I really hope it doesn’t hurt the book in sales but to tell the truth it dampened even my enthusiasm for the book.

Book 2 starts up with a pretty nasty interrogation going on where we have a gang leader sacrificing his wife and his own life rather than sell out his “people” to this other drug lord. It’s a nasty scene and well done at that. It hammers home that a lot of the people in this book are vicious scumbags that want nothing more than to kill whoever stands in their way to dominate or challenge their superiority and leadership.

Tocchini’s artwork is gorgeous as always and he does some awesome scenes of carnage and violence that would keep any fan of the Punisher or crime comics for that matter very happy. The one thing I found that bothered me was a scene where he drew what looked like an assault shotgun with the clip in the wrong place and I know this is a stupid thing to complain about and I can overlook it in the grand scheme of the book. It’s just that I have spent a lot of time doing research on weapons and tactics for my own artwork and seeing someone draw a weapon that looks a bit “off” gets me upset. I just want to be clear that I LOVE Tocchini’s artwork overall and I think he is doing an amazing job on this book, maybe this was supposed to be a future type of shotgun or some other sort of prototype that I’ve never seen and really does look like this.

Remender is still doing a great job on the story and I’m looking forward to the 3rd issue. Getting back to this issue though, we get to see a bit more character development with some of the other supporting characters. Shelby turned out to be the biggest surprise of the book and story. I won’t ruin it for anyone that isn’t reading the “floppies” but instead waiting for the trade. From the beginning we knew she was going to be trouble but goddamn she’s living up to that femme fatale tag. She also has some of the best lines in the book.: “You were totally dying to say schematics or some other shit right then. I could tell. I’m into it. Let’s crime novel this shit up.”

Another surprise of this book turned out to be Shelby’s boyfriend, Kevin Cash. The boy’s got some stones, actually impressed me by some of the crazy antics he pulled early on in the story. Let me run down the scene for you just to give you a quick taste (Spoiler warning): Kevin’s staying at a cheap ass motel and goes downstairs to score some dope from a bunch of low level brainless biker wannabe drug dealers. As he’s scoring from them he insults their heritage, family and mother in the process, guaranteeing they’ll come looking for a little payback. They do and he’s ready for them. Kevin kills them with such ease that you almost feel sorry for them. He leaves one dealer alive and as the dealer is leaving the room running for his life Kevin changes his mind, grabbing him by his head and throwing him into the outside railing, at the same time he hits the dealer from behind with his elbow driving the guys mouth directly into the banister splitting his face open…..The scene is actually quite funny and extremely violent and like I said you ALMOST feel bad for the dealers. In the end they got what they deserved, just like what everyone else will in this book.

There’s a lot more action that follows, both with Kevin and Graham. They are both well done, very bloody, very violent and Graham uses one of my favourite hand cannons in a car chase scene that I’d love to see in a movie version, especially if they keep in all of the bloodshed.

All in all a very solid, good read and it builds seamlessly what was begun in the first issue leading to the culmination of the robbery that will set up each character for the rest of their respective lives on easy street.

Looking forward to issue 3.

The Last Days of American Crime Book Delivers the Goods

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Writer Rick Remender
Artist: Greg Tocchini
Publisher: Radical Comics
Price: 4.99 US
Mature readers

Originally when I first heard about the premise for this miniseries I was a bit sceptical thinking that Remender was trying to jump on the crime resurgence bandwagon and that it was going to be a huge flop. I’d seen Greg Tocchini’s artwork on some comic over at Marvel but was never impressed with what he’d done. Still though, I was willing to give the book a shot but I’d definitely have to take a look at it first before I plunked down my hard earned cash. A month or two before Book 1 was to be released the owners of my comic store gave me their preview copy as they knew how much of a fan I am of this genre of comics. Nothing had prepared me for what was inside that preview.

The first time that I looked inside the preview I was assaulted by these wild European colors. Tochchini’s artwork was realistic and had improved a thousand fold over what I had seen before. He was mixing mediums coloring the book traditionally while incorporating computer techniques. My jaw dropped. It took me days before I even read the preview as I simply couldn’t stop staring at the artwork. This is something rare for me, at least lately. Then after I finally read the preview I was stoked by Remender’s writing and couldn’t wait for the actual book to ship. It was time to wait.

Even though I was looking out for the book, I still didn’t get to the store in time. It had sold out and it was selling out everywhere. I called my store to see if they could order it for me and one of the owners told me that when he saw how fast It was selling he kept a copy or two for me. Man I don’t remember being that overjoyed over getting a comic.

Holding The last days of American Crime in my hands I couldn’t help but notice how heavy It felt and I glossed over the pages quickly and I saw there was an interview with both Remender and Tocchini In the back along with a sketch section for each character. This was the equivalent of getting a director’s cut of your favourite DVD and it was right out of the gate too. Huge kudos go out to Radical and all of the fine folks responsible. Okay, enough of me gushing over the book, let’s get Into the details.

It’s a few weeks away from the US government’s broadcast of a signal that will render the populace incapable of committing any crimes. At the same time the US is also switching over from cash to electronic payment cards. Needless to say once the news is leaked to the population, rioting, looting commence and people start going bat-shit crazy as a last ditch effort to enjoy themselves before they become mindless drones that tow the line and have no free will of their own. The criminals are trying to get the fuck out of dodge before this signal goes live. Canada has locked down its’ borders, along with Mexico and armed guards will shoot anyone trying to enter the country without valid identification or attempting to sneak in to escape the dreaded “signal”.

Graham Bricke is walking into a slumlord’s wet dream of a building while carrying a can of diesel. As he climbs the stairs to get to where he’s going, he’s offered sex in exchange for that magic hit of H from all sorts of whores promising to fuck you harder than you’ve ever been fucked in your life. We also discover Graham is a recovering addict and he’d love to get high right now but first he needs to take care of a loose end. This loose end is a man tied up in a bathtub while Graham explains why he walked so many blocks to score a can of diesel. Trust me it’s one of those scenes that set the stage for what’s to come in the book perfectly.

Graham then heads over to the local bar where he has to meet a “gardener” to help him pull off a job. While waiting, poor Graham meets one of the hottest femme fatales straight out of film noir’s rich history. He never gets her name before he ends up banging the living fucking hell out of her in the ladies’ bathroom while strangling her at the same time. Yeah. Poor, poor Graham. Only after he finishes does this babe tell him that he just helped her check something off of her “to do list’ What? “Fuck a loser.” Damaged goods baby but goddamn she’s so fuckable and just like a Black Widow she’ll eat you after fucking your brains out.
These two pages above give you a good idea of how much this book will deliver the goods while not falling into the trappings of censorship or pussyfooting around any scene. Once again Radical gets extremely high praise for leaving this scene in the book. Btw, there’s a lot more to this scene than what I’m showing here. If you want to see it go buy the goddamned book already. Enough of me running off on a tangent.

After Graham’s finished he meets the gardener that he advertised for but there’s just one small problem. The femme fatale he just fucked is his gardener’s fiancée. Talk about setting yourself up for disaster right there. The story continues to build to a strong setting for the other 2 books still yet to come and I can’t wait to see how it all plays out. If you find this book, grab it and buy it. You’ll be glad that you did.

This book has the possibility to be as huge as Sin City or 100 Bullets. The movie is already in production with Sam Worthington attached to play Graham Bricke and as a producer, the possibilities are endless.

Rafael Grampa’s Mesmo Delivery is Bloody, Brutal and a Fun Ride

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Review by Richard Serrao

*Editor’s Note* This piece was originally published in our now defunct crime mag Blunt Force Beating and has now been given a new home.

Mesmo Delivery
Writer and Artist: Rafael Grampa
Price tag: 9.99 US
Color
Approx :70 pages

I must admit I had only seen Rafael Grampa’s work on the covers to the last mini-series starring Werewolf By Night for Marvel Max, so I really didn’t know what to expect from this creator. Thank heavens my store had ordered an extra copy of this GN.

Of course as soon as I saw it sitting on the back shelf behind the cash I just had to have a peek at what was inside the pages………!!!?! WTF!!!!!!!! Honestly that was my exact reaction to the insides of what I was holding in my sweaty little palms at that moment in time. This guy’s work looked like a hybrid mix of Geoff Darrow, Paul Pope, Frank Quietly and Basil Wolverton. Very surreal looking artwork and definitely not everyone’s cup of tea BUT if you dig any of the creators I mentioned before you’ll definitely dig this bit of insanity. The colours are very European and suit this GN perfectly.

The book begins with a quick intro of the two main characters as they are driving a big rig. They are hauling an unknown cargo to its destination. One of the two characters is a beaten up wannabe Elvis double (definitely not an impersonator though) whose name is Sangrecco. He’s rambling on comparing himself to the real Elvis via their respective tastes for guns, martial arts and superheroes. At no point early on does it even become apparent which direction the story will take but I was starting to become incredibly curious.

As they pull up to a gas station the other main character Rufo gets out to stretch his legs, pump some gas and get something to drink at the rest stop. Meanwhile our Elvis wannabe crashes out for a little snooze while Rufo is gone. As Rufo enters into the bar we are introduced to some of the local denizens of the place. One of which is talking about a fight he had. We have all seen this kind of blowhard before as well as the other hangers on. It then becomes very clear that this blowhard see’s Rufo (who just happens to be a massive looking bone crusher) as a threat and decides to have some fun with him. The fact that Rufo is also drinking a glass of milk doesn’t help matters. Pretty soon things get ugly and Rufo is challenged to a fist fight out back for some cash.

I gotta say at this point Grampa throws us a major curve ball with what happens next.

The blowhard (Forceps) shows us why he’s won so many fights. Everything soon goes to hell as one of the girls cheering on Forceps gets killed. Things go from bad to worse as one by one the patrons of the truck stop get sliced and diced as the Devil looks on from Hell gleefully awaiting more souls.

People get beheaded, stabbed in the eyes and we’re treated to some very insane POV action. This is in Peter Jackson territory. It gets bloody, brutal and I still couldn’t stop laughing over the way how the first girl got killed.

This book was a lot better than I would have thought and it was just a fun, fun ride. Unfortunately the book ends way too soon as far as I’m concerned.

I really can’t wait to see what Grampa does next.

If you’re in the mood for a very violent, fun, off the beaten path kinds story then definitely check this book out.

Buy Mesmo Delivery

Artist Jordan Raskin on Versatility, Professionalism and Killer Artwork

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I first saw Jordan Raskin’s work on AVP at  Dark Horse Comics and I was instantly blown away by his work. From there on I followed his work to Image and some killer artwork on Ripclaw. Whenever I see his name attached to a book I will buy it regardless of who’s writing it. His art impresses me that much. His work is truly something to see.

Batman – private commission

First professional work (piece / year) and the story behind it.

Wow, you’re taking me back. My first professional comic work was for a small indie publisher based in NYC called “Evolution Comics”. The book was a mini B&W anthology and the character I drew was called “Vidorix the Druid”. The writing was well researched and it was a fun character — kind of a cross between “Name of the Rose” and Dr. Strange. Anyway, I met the publishers at a small NY comic-con. I drew 4 issues for them and we toured some small east coast comic conventions together. Fun times, it was all so new to me. Vidorix was my art school. I did a lot of learning on that title.

Ripclaw special (Top Cow) – Page 31 & 32

Self-taught or formally educated? (or mixture of both, mentors etc…)

Largely self-taught, but technically I did attend both Joe Kubert’s school of Cartooning and Ringling school of illustration for one semester each.

Tools of the trade: Taking a quick glance over at your pens, brushes etc…what tools have you mainly been using over the last few years?

Ink-wise I’m a brush man. Used to love Raphael #4’s with Black Magic india ink. But because my pencil work is as tight as it is, these days I’ve been trying to cut out the ink stage. My most recent work was drawn with black Prismacolor pencils on vellum. When handled with care, you wouldn’t know it wasn’t ink.

Ripclaw promo

Favorite brand of ink:

Black Magic

Type of paper:

Seth Cole Duralene vellum.

Industry of War issue 1 pg. 2

Which artists or creators do you return to for a quick boost of inspiration? Who are YOUR masters of ink?

(in no particular order) Jorge Zaffino, Kevin Nowlan, Neal Adams, Mark Beachum, Frank Frazetta, Sergio Toppi — to name a few.

Once a client has handed off an illustration job to you, how do you first tackle the job. A quick overview of your process.

I’ll start with thumbnail layouts (drawn to scale). Once I’ve settled on a design I’ll submit it for approval. Once approved I enlarge the layouts to original art size and tape my vellum (effectively bristol board quality tracing paper) over the layout and complete the finished line-art from there.

Industry of War issue 2, pg. 4

What’s currently sitting in your mp3 / CD player / turntable?

Well, considering I have a 200 gig iPod, a lot! Too much to break down, but let’s just say my music tastes are firmly rooted in the 70’s and 80’s. I’ve also always been fond of listening to movie soundtracks — especially when writing or working on layouts.

Marvel Tombs of Terror

What’s hanging on your walls and what is your favorite piece of art that you own (not created by you)?

Framed signed/numbered Death Dealer print by the late great Frank Frazetta.

Last novel you read and last movie that you saw (that you’d recommend)?

I don’t really read novels so much as listen to them as audio books (it’s a multitasking thing). Nothing in particular to recommend at the moment, but I do love me some Tom Clancy. Start with The Hunt for Red October and work your way up — you won’t regret it. Last movie I saw was Inception.

Ripclaw cover

Current and upcoming projects:

Werewolf by Night for Marvel’s “Tomb of Terror” (B&W horror anthology available in October). Upcoming project is a question mark. I’m considering pitching a tale for Heavy Metal but I’m also considering doing some storyboard work for film and animation.

Marvel Tomb of Terror

What would you tell an aspiring artist who is working his ass off but still needs and wants to break through to the next level?

Chuck Jones (famed animator) once said: “You’ve got 100,000 bad drawings in you and it’s best to get them out as fast as possible”. Practice makes perfect. These days, however, it’s just as important to learn digital programs as it is to become a good draftsman. It’s important to think of yourself as a commercial artist, not a comic book artist. Comics alone will not pay your bills. Learn other things besides comics. Also, make sure you spend time networking. Relationships get you jobs more so than your portfolio.

Find out more about Jordan Raskin by heading on over to his website.

Vampirella vs. Dracula cover

A NSFW Interview With Artist Martin Gagnon

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I first met Martin Gagnon last year at the Montreal Comic Con in September 2009. From the moment I first laid eyes on his artwork, I was a fan. His style is very reminiscent of Tim Vigil’s but at the same time I feel he has a lot to offer to the artistic community. He’s an incredibly talented artist and one hell of a nice guy. Over the last year we have become friends and I’m happy that he agreed to do this interview. Sit back and enjoy.

First professional work (piece / year) and maybe a quick story behind it.
My first professional piece that was published as the cover for the novel Buddha Airlines by author Louis-Philippe Hebert in 2009. Prior to that was Dead Sexy in 2004 by bizzzart studios and perhaps soon a comic book from Big Dog Ink comics Not much was published beside those ones. I recently (5 years ago) went back to drawing and exploring art to better myself. Now things will get more serious. More ugly.

Self-taught or formally educated? (or mixture of both, mentors etc…)
I am self-taught. Never went to art-school (my parent didn’t have the money!) I was inspired by my mother who used to draw/paint houses and flowers. Later on I discovered comic books. Marvel and DC published in French by Les Editions Heritage. That was the “calling”. I used to draw Cyclops, Iron Man, Daredevil and Batman. But all those drawings were destroyed in a fire (our house burned down while we were all at the fair!). But, I didn’t give up hope!
My inspirations were by far the “King” himself Jack Kirby. And it still is. All of my first drawings were based on his style. After the fire, I decided that I had to have my own style.


Tools of the trade: Taking a quick glance over at your pens, brushes etc…what tools have you mainly been using over the last few years?

My tools, at first, back in the 70’s and 80’s I think I worked with almost anything I could afford or my parents could. Which was not much. My grand-mother (my father’s mother) was really there to push me and advise me on how to handle crayon, pencils and pens. I think she was in a way a mentor to me! May she rest in peace!
In the 90’s I started working with fountain ink and brushes. That is when I met two great guys Michel Lacombe and Yannick Paquette. We were hired by “The Other Side Comics”. I didn’t quite like the way it worked, the brushes and fountain pens are sloppy. But I still worked with those things from hell. ‘Till I discovered micro pigment ink pens and archival ink. Marvelous, precise and they come in a lot of line widths.
So since the year 2000 or so I have been using pigma micron pens. Me sa like it.

Type of paper:
All sort of paper, from Strathmore to Strathmore..:) Because when I moved in with my father back in 1989, I went to a comic book store on Montreal’s south shore called Hero. A real comic store! Back in Sorel there was none! I met the clerk “Martin Noro” a great guy and a mentor too, he taught me a lot. From what kind of paper to use (paper was the only thing I drew on!), the right pen, pencils and ink. But also he made me discover new comics from Montreal, independent comics like The Jam, Madman and Grendel. I thought that Marvel and DC were the only ones (publishers) out there. Boy was I wrong. And at the same time, discovered more styles.

Which artists or creators do you return to for a quick boost of inspiration? Who are the masters of ink?
My inspirations are by far Jack Kirby, Alex Ross, Mike Mignola and Mike Allred, to name only a few. When I am out of inspiration or feel down I turn to them and it gives me the boost I need. But I discover new artists each time I go to the Montreal Comic-Con. We have great talents here in Quebec. I think that Michel Lacombe is by far a Master of Ink at the same level of Palmiotti and co. I kind of lost contact with comic books and I don’t read as much now.

Once a client has handed off an illustration job to you, how do you first tackle the job. Could you provide us with a quick overview of your process?
Well, the way I handle a job or commission is simple. The client will tell me, send me the details (what character(s), what settings). I do some sketches that I present over a coffee (Press cafe is my place of choice!). When the decision is made on which sketches (he, she) likes the most then I go back to my studio. Once the job is done we meet again.
I like to meet the “client” ,because it feels more human than to send the request by e-mail. I get to meet people. Of course, if they live very far then that is another story. Travelling is not my thing.


What’s currently sitting in your mp3 / CD player / turntable?
Well, I don’t have an mp3 player. Sticking things in my ears I really dislike..But, I do have a portable DVD player sitting on my drawing table, so I can listen to music. (I mostly listen to Mandy Lion(ww111), Avenged Sevenfold, Alice Cooper and so much more. And I can watch movies (I am a movie maniac!). It creates a certain ambiance for me, I hate silence when I draw or write. Except when I sleep.

What’s hanging on your walls and what is your favorite piece of art that you own (not created by you)?
What I have on the wall of my studio are prints of Leo Leibelman, Richard Serrao, Noumier Tawilah (a great guy i met back in 2009 at a Montreal Comic-Con.!)  And of course, Alex Ross. Signed comic books by various artists both local and international. Pictures that I took (I like to take pictures!). During special events, stars I met (actors and artists).But, I don’t have much wall space because I am also a collection freak (Actions figures. Marvel, DC (Mostly Alex Ross : Justice, Kingdom Come and movie figures!). But I must say that the most important piece of art that is hanging on my wall in front of my drawing table is by me. It is a “positive vision art”. It helps me focus on what I really want in life. It is a portrait of me surrounded by all the things I want, my goal in life. Which is going forward with my art.

Last novel you read and last movie that you saw (that you’d recommend)?
The last novel I read was (I am not quite finished!) is a novel by Louis-Philippe Hebert which was a gift from him. The last movie I saw was Flesh Eater, Revenge Of The Living Dead!, a B-movie. I love zombie movies! But the last movie I saw in a theatre was The Expendables with Sly and co. I actually loved it. It’s a no-brainer. But it’s very entertaining.

Current and upcoming projects?

Right now I am working on Dead Sexy Vol. 2: Masquerade and Vol. 3 featuring Isabelle Stephen. Some comic book one-shots. A movie script for Sv Bell (Black Flag Productions) and a big one. My graphic novel which is a secret for now. And in between some commissions.  A lot of goodies.

What would you tell an aspiring artist who is working his ass off but still needs and wants to break through to the next level?
I would say to aspiring artists, keep trying, keep working and never give up. Practice makes perfect. Take pictures of buildings, nature and people as reference or use magazines, books and movies. There are  also  books available on how to draw shadows, hands, faces and figures(anatomy). Explore all media, portraits, comic books ,2d, 3d digital colouring etc..The more you can do, the more you’ll be better at and it’ll get you noticed. Don’t be shy to ask questions or advice from professional artists. The most important is perspective, try drawing with fountain ink to pencils, everything. It is very important to be versatile. Have faith in yourself, keep pushing your limits, and bring your portfolio to conventions. Show off. Get noticed.
I just want to tell you “MERCI!”, THANK YOU. It was fun and I hope that the last question will bring confidence to those who are trying and working their ass off. Once again thank you, it is such an Honor for me to have been interviewed by you.

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