Table of Contents

RKYV # 51 {Nov. 2011} RKYV ONLINE LOGO David Marshall {current} r. j. par {modified} Roy G. James {original} Virtual Covers # 51 - Design/Layout by David Marshall & r. j. par Interior Art - by r. j. par, Mike Grattan, James Jig-One Titman, Roger Price, Stephen Gibb, T. B. Hoopdriver, Corinne Vuillemin, Josh Bowe, Larissa Gula, Orly Shalem Editorial Column - At the Outset: A Few Thoughts from the Editor - By r. j. par World View - In memoriam - by r.j. par Featured Creator Review - Neil Burke - By r. j. par Short Fiction - A Certain Destiny part IV - by Pauline Par - Deadly Friend - by Patrick J Nestor, Jr.

Art in Focus - Orly Shalem - by r. j. par Poetry - by Marie Lecrivain, Tindersen Blacktree Hoopdriver, r. j. par Pop Culture - Digital Scribbles - by Darke Raven - The Idiot Box, Random Spotlight - by Darke Raven - Comic Book Review - by r. j. par - Raised on Saturday Morning Cartoons - by Pauline Par

Jess B & W by Josh Bowe

Fate arrives at its final destination by Stephen Gibb

______________________________________________________________________ RKYV ONLINE Printed as PDF | Oct. 2011 | rkyv.online@rogers.com

At the outset

A few thoughts, from The Editor... by r. j. par

I was working in the lab late one night When my eyes beheld an eerie sight For my monster from his slab began to rise And suddenly to my surprise He did the mash He did the monster mash - Bobby "Boris" Pickett

Welcome gruesome ghouls of creepy ilk to the RKYV Halloween Edition for 2011.
Listening to the above song with my children is a delicious exercise in seasonal nostalgia. I recall, quite fondly, the weekend creature features and monster movies of my childhood. They made for many a delightful spooky Saturday curled up on the corner of the sofa watching Aliens, Ghosts & Vampires though not the sparkly skinned emovariety, currently in vogue; but rather the intense and deadly, Christopher Lee, Dracula hunted by Peter Cushings zealous & obsessed Doctor Van Helsing. This month we are proud to present, for your reading pleasure, a wonderful assortment of art & lit goodies. Writer Neil Burke joins us in the Featured Creator of the Month interview. He shares his experiences as a creator of dark & gruesome indie comics and prose. Patrick J Nestor, Jr. returns and in the Halloween spirit pens the creepy little tale Deadly Friend. The fourth instalment of A Certain Destiny arrives, from Pauline Pars keyboard, to your screen... hope everyone enjoys the final chapter of this tale. Darke Raven, Pauline Par and yours truly, r. j. par discuss comics, movies and TV in a series of pop culture reviews. For fine art aficionados I am pleased to direct you to our "art in focus" segment as we continue our look at the beautiful acrylics of Orly Shalem.

Many thanks, as well, to all of the talented artists [credited throughout the issue] who continue to share their fantastic work with us - their contributions make every edition of RKYVs a pleasure to produce!

For more RKYV entertainment than we can fit into a PDF. Here are, some fun and engaging sites weve set up, to expand the RKYV-al fun all month long! RKYV twitter feed text us with your feedback! http://twitter.com/#!/RKYVOnline Darke Ravens RKYV Blog & Pod Casts vote for your favourite segments! http://rkyvrevue.blogspot.com/ Official RKYV Blog send us your comments, questions & suggestions! http://rkyv.blogspot.com/ RKYV Editorial Video Blog watch me act the fool and hype the Zine!
http://www.youtube.com/user/RKYVONLINE

RKYV ONLINE Facebook Group post submissions and interact with other contributors!
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2399067108

With that I bid farewell with some words from the all-time master of the macabre Vincent Price:

The foulest stench is in the air The funk of forty thousand years And grizzly ghouls from every tomb Are closing in to seal your doom... Vincent Price, Michael Jackson's Thriller

< KRS One by James Jig-One Titman

Lennon McCartney by Mike Grattan

World View
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In Memoriam...

Apple user, and graphic design student, Jonathan Mak, recently posted a graphic tribute to the pied piper of all i-things. He by r. j. par modified a white version of the Apple logo, on an all black background, with a Two very different public figures passed downward looking silhouette of a headaway, recently, whove had dramatic shaved Steve Jobs where the bite would impacts both in life and in their passing be. After going viral, complaints arose that upon our culture. I thought Id use this his design somehow ripped off an earlier months World View column to reflect on design tribute to Steve Jobs by British them. designer Chris Thornley.

Steve Jobs
What can one say about this man that hasnt been written? His accomplishments, in the world of business and technology, have played a singular role in shaping how we integrate technology in our day-to-day lives even how we relate to one another.

Thornleys design, done months earlier, showed a black version of the Apple logo, on a white background with a silhouette of Steve Jobs [with hair] looking straight forward, where the bite would be.

Frankly, for me, there is no case for plagiarism here. For starters, Thornleys design reflects a Jobs doing what he does By every measure of a consumer society he best, looking forward and innovating. Maks was a success. How sad is it, then, that so design works far better as a sombre much of his later legacy is an almost never memorial because the composition has Jobs head tilted down in a reflective pose and ending series of court cases between his Jobs is portrayed with the shaved head he company and others over alleged sported during his final years. copyright, patent and intellectual property infringement as both plaintiff and However, judge for yourself... defendant?! While Jobs was a master at selling us on what we want or need in technologies that take advantage of our growing obsession with social networking media he was also vehemently against the simultaneously growing movement of open source advocates. It seems tragically fitting, then, that even online memorials for Steve Jobs have now been fraught with the same accusations of copyright infringement.

Jack Layton
Leader of the New Democrat Party of Canada, Jack Layton was a social democrat who tirelessly worked at protecting and expanding social awareness and protections within the Canadian legislature. In an age of right wing momentum he somehow managed to accomplish what other left of centre politicians had failed to do articulate his ideals, beliefs and platform to an electorate inundated with conservative messages and lead his party, a heretofore minor, 3rd party caucus, to a historic number of seats and official opposition status to the governing conservatives in Ottawa.

passing. The letter dealt with his wishes for the NDP leadership upon his passing and addressed various segments of Canada concluding with the following words that became a clarion call for social advocates, in the wake of his death. "My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we'll change the world." Jacks legacy is reflected in/a part of the growing movement of those who wish to see the quality of life improved for all of us. Singer and childrens entertainer, Raffi, has since taken those words and set them to music and released the song as a FREE online tribute to his memory and his message.

Sadly, Jack soon after succumbed to a long http://childhonouring.org/uploads/Letter_To_A_Nation.mp3 battle with cancer, in his final hours he wrote a letter to the nation, which his Listeners are encouraged to download the family released to the media after his song and pass it along..:)

hopeful dreamer, remembered by r. j. par

the sky before a storm... by Larissa Gula

Digital Scribbles
Star Trek: Countdown
Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman Artists: Mike Johnson and Tim Jones Publisher: IDW
Originally Published April 2009 Writers:

by Darke Raven

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It is still almost a year before Star Trek

Nothing. Paramount has squandered those years in the worst way possible. A reboot 12 hits and counting ever downwards, the full of promise, hope, and endless possimovie releasing about three years after the bilities signifying nothing after two years reboot started with Star Trek 2009... and and counting. No new experimental TV what has Paramount done in the two series, no new era of comics, no new video years since that monumental event? games, nothing. Paramount simply underwhelmed us beyond all expectations, dragging their collective rears meandering into 2012 with presently nothing to show for the first three years as they prepare to possibly re-angering the fan base anew with a very likely recasting of Khan Noonian Singh, the iconic nemesis of nemesis owned by original actor Ricardo Montalban.

Eh? Maybe there are more new Star Trek comics that haven't gone digital yet? Maybe, but somehow I doubt it... Even so the overall lack of enthusiasm over the reboot universe by Paramount speaks volumes about their lack of faith in the brand. Sad since we are nearing the 50th Anniversary of the franchise and yet there is nothing except the new movie ahead to get hyped over. Come on, Paramount, snap out of it. Back to what little reboot comics exist. Too bad what few comics came out we had two prequels and a movie adaptation and that is it. With three years under our belt when the new movie hits we really should have had far, far better than this. Come on IDW! Seriously? This one time I am going to review the physical print Trade Paperback, especially since, like that quotable quote from Robocop? Why yes, I did buy it for a dollar... and some change. Way cheap. As the story starts we find a rather normal looking Nero on the job mining for the Romulans, only to end up in a bit of a jam with an exploding star. Fast-forward to Romulus and we find Spock has gone native and moved into Romulus as an official citizen, over 20 years having past from the Reunification two-part story, from Star Trek The Next Generation. Coming before the Romulan Senate he warns them of Abrams magical killer star capable of destroying the galaxy... uh? No? Just the Romulan Empire?... that still makes no sense. Anyway the senate shoot down Spock's plan (which you wouldn't think from the movie) and Spock and Nero (who stood up for Spock's plan at the senate) end up buddied up in order to save the Empire.

Teamed up later with the Enterprise and Captain Data the second (this is post Nemesis after all) after rumbling with the Reman (again from Nemesis) they go on a quest ultimately doomed to failure... because Nero bails on the start when he finds out about the imminent destruction of Romulus so he can race home to save his wife and unborn son, which fails as he returns just in time to watch Romulus go boom. He then promptly goes mad, destroys the failed aid vessels that arrive and declares a one man war on the Federation which involves getting into a fight with the Klingons and Admiral Worf, finding Spock after he stopped the super nova and leads into the start of the 2009 Star Trek movie. Reading this fills in all the blanks about Nero, and his Khan-like quest for vengeance for the death of his beloved wife and unborn son. Reading Nero the mini will fill in more... like what happened during the long gap of time that passed in the first 30 minutes of the movie, but... if you are an anti-reboot fan... then why are you reading this? Stop that.

Go play Star Trek Online, nothing here will change your mind about the reboot even if youre a present fence sitter over it. This was once, pre-movie release, supposed to sell you on the movie and get you hyped. Now, however, as we count down to Star Trek 12 its only for the true believer. The converted. The fan ready and willing to spend more on the reboot universe if only Paramount or IDW gave them a chance. This won't convert you to a reboot fan if your not one already, nor is this some sort of jumping on point. Short of the 2009 movie no other material exists that can be treated as a jumping on point for the series... but there is still time. As I write this it is October 2011. That means there is still time. By the new year somebody needs to begin rolling out a new comic series or series in plural warming us up for Star Trek 12. Ramp up the excitement for the 12th movie, while there is still time. It's only logical to do so, after all. Countdown? A middle of the road 3 out of 5. A narrowly focused release, it only appeals to the already converted, and post Star Trek 12 it'll just be snapped up by the new converted. It won't change minds, nor will it be a good way to whet your whistle over the reboot if youre curious, but it is good for the collection once you are a fan.

Next Issue - Star Trek the Manga Volume 3

Halloween Costumes
More great & grisly, ghoulish makeup...

... by artist Roger Price!

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Featured Creator of the Month

by r.j. par

Neil Burke

I think what I'm trying to say, is that I wanted to be a comic book artist when I was younger and then, at fourteen, I discovered Transmetropolitan by Warren Ellis and Darick Robertson and decided that I wanted to be a journalist. Not only a journalist but Spider Jerusalem, the protagonist of that series and then, in year eleven (which in Not-So-Great Britain is the final year of high school, which would have made me fifteen/sixteen at the time) one of our coursework assignments was to write a short story; the genre and content was ours to choose, the only restriction being that we couldn't use bad language in a gratuitous fashion, (one or two Shits were alright but F**K-C**T-F**K-C**TF**K-C**T-F**K! was out). So in a round-about way, yes, I suppose I did always know. I can still remember what my particular story was about although I can't for the life of me remember the title. It was set in the nineteen seventies and featured an undercover police officer in New York masquerading as a pimp in order to bring a gang of psychopathic, junkie bikers to justice, and somehow, somewhere along the way, he ended up in prison (for God knows what reason other than I wrote it aged fifteen and had just seen Lock Up for the hundredth time). In prison he found the bikers waiting for him and they murdered him in a spectacularly brutal fashion. Like I said, I wrote it when I was fifteen/sixteen and can't remember all of the details although I can remember the deputy head teacher, Mr. Hamlin (one of the only teachers at the school to actually

r. j. par: Have you always known that you wanted to be or, rather, were an artist / writer? Neil Burke: I think so. I discovered the Vertigo comic book 'Preacher' when I was eleven/twelve and it blew me away. Obviously that was WAY too young to be reading Preacher but what can I say. It was the first comic book I remember reading, it wasn't the first one I read but it was the first that made any sort of impact on me. Maybe not the writing, I was far too young to understand what the hell was going on, but Steve Dillon's art was stupendous.

show any interest or belief in me) telling I see Ive kind of rambled on a little more me that it was the most disturbing thing he than I intended to so I'll move onto the had ever had submitted by a pupil, (I was next question now. pretty proud of that). rjp: Did you study or major in art / writing After leaving school, aged 16, I made up while in school? my mind to write a comic book, of course I had no idea what I was doing; there was no NB: I studied art in school, I don't know script and it was an insane little ditty called how it is in America, but in Britain, when Did Himself A Mischief', about a you move into Ket Stage 4 (which would be disturbed teenage bass player and empath years nine, ten and eleven; ages 14, 15 whose family were murdered and he took and 16) you get to pick subjects that you revenge on the criminals with the help of a want to study. Obviously you have to do three hundred year old witch. Other the main ones; English, Maths and Science characters featured in it were a 500 pound but then ICT (Information Communication morbidly obese Elvis impersonating Technology, or computers basically), vigilante armed with laser firing Magnums Double Science (which meant you have and his equally fat lover; the space pirate more science lessons than any other queen Captain Rhythm Stick (named after subject, History, Modern Foreign Languages the Ian Dury and the Blockhead's (which at our school were French or song), her weapon of choice was a strapSpanish) and Art were optional. on that doubled as a cannon and the villain was a thousand year old excommunicated Pope who was now a crime boss and a powerful demon lord. I spent months scribbling out character designs and jotting notes down on paper and eventually gave it up as a bad job. Title: ZOMpokalypse [page 2] Creators: Neil Burke [writer] and Scott Twells [artist] It wasnt until three years or so later, having discovered Facebook and met a lot of other like-minded individuals that I started writing again and created my most beloved character, Naughty Callahan, a former IRA man who had turned into freelance terrorist for a top secret British Agency called The Office of UnGentlemanly Warfare before retiring and opening up a sex shop (Naughty's nefarious Nik-Naks) and although Naughty has never seen the light of day, I have wrote more of Naughty than of any other character I have created and one day I will unleash him.

I ended up choosing Art over Double Science and so had seven hours worth of art lessons a week as opposed to one. It was a fantastic class, there were only six of us and out teacher Mrs. McFadden was a superb artist herself, she really taught me a lot and it was great fun, for our final exam we had to choose our own subject to draw and so, me being a 'mosher' back then I drew a manga-inspired life size Linkin Park piece. (A 'mosher' in Britain being someone that dumb-arses call people who listen to metal and punk rock).

rjp: Do you use any special tools and techniques to create your art? NB: When I draw, and only me sees what I draw (unless I'm especially pleased with it and I upload it to Facebook) I use an ordinary pencil and a rubber. When I'm inking I use a Gelink 0.7mm (three for a pound, I work with what I can afford and at the moment, that is all I can afford lol). rjp: Can you tell us a little about your current project? NB: Currently, I'm writing several things; volume two of The Good, the Bad, and the Dead; my weird western zombie horror tale being published by Trestle Press, I'm also plotting out a few different things; including a sequel to ZOMpokalypse that will see me once again collaborating with Scott Twells and Danny Kelly. I'm also collaborating with writer Michael Birchmore on something that hasn't been announced yet. I am also currently writing something called Phoebe Fatale which artist Guy Staats is pencilling and I am going to ink and letter and I have just finished writing a three issue action/revenge mini-series called Reaper, the team working on this with me are Corey Clover (pencils), Tony Pabon (issue one inks), Lauren Jepson (issue two/three inks) and David NaughtonShires (letters). It will be published early in the New Year through KnightWatch Press who also publish the ZOMpokalypse series. Phoebe Fatale is a crime book with a twist; Guy describes it as Quentin Tarantino meets the Breakfast Club. We are planning on submitting Phoebe to Image Comics so fingers crossed on that one. Another project I have just undertaken is a novel called Seedy that I aim to complete for NaNoWriMo in November.

Title: ZOMpokalypse [page 6] Creators: Neil Burke [writer] and Scott Twells [artist]

Seedy is me channelling Chuck Palahniuk by way of Warren Ellis; it is about an unemployed loser who makes a living undergoing medical trials and donating sperm at the fertility clinic who meets a woman who is an armed robber and a twisted deviant, so thats going to be a lot of fun. rjp: What inspires you to create art / write? NB: Many things really. I'm not sure, some times an idea will just pop into my head, other times it will come about because of something I've read in the newspaper or seen on the news. The origins of a superhero I created called The Crusader was inspired by the film The Hurt Locker, which if you haven't seen, you really should hunt down. rjp: Which famous artists, creators or styles have influenced you? Why? NB: I suppose I should answer this in sections; comic books, prose and art, so here goes: The biggest influences on me with the type of comics I write are Garth Ennis, Mark Millar, Frank Miller, Jason Aaron, Warren Ellis and Grant Morrison. The writers I read the most really. When I first started writing it was more in the Ennis/Millar vein, very loud, obscene, gratuitous even, but then someone called me out on it and even though I mistook their intentions and believed it to be a personal attack it made me realise that people were seeing me as some kind of shock writer, and so I worked hard to make the necessary changes and now my work is a little more subtle; not so loud and arrogant and it has made me a better writer for it. When it comes to writing prose, Id say my two biggest influences are Raymond Chandler (in whose shadow I believe all crime writers walk) and Steig Larsson (the Millenium Trilogy blew me away, and to

think I only read them originally to see what all the fuss was about) and then to a lesser extent Chuck Phalaniuk and Chris Ryan, the latter of whom writes fantastic action scenes involving soldiers for hire, gunplay and explosions.

Title: Reaper 1 cover Creators: Neil Burke [writer] with Corey Clover and Tony Pabon [artists] rjp: When working on a comic script, what method do you prefer: should the artist receive the finished script or a page by page outline of the story? NB: Personally I prefer to write full script, with panel breakdowns and dialogue and everything (I'll even attach reference pictures and links to things too), but I have also wrote using the Marvel Method, it depends on the artist's personal preference really.

rjp: With advancements in computer graphic tablet technology, some artists are now creating their work directly in the digital medium and releasing it in purely digital formats... are the days of paper & pulp doomed to the realm of fading memories? NB: I hope not. I personally don't enjoy reading comics and books on the computer, I own several and have even published my work digitally (as well as in print) but it gives me no pleasure to read a PDF or something similar and so I sincerely hope that digital doesn't doom the print industry as there is nothing like reading a book or a comic and have it in your hands, to feel the texture of the paper and to smell the scent of old books. Another thing would be how would you go about collecting comics and books digitally, how would you be able to trade and swap titles with your friends? You wouldn't be able to. No, digital is definitely not for me. rjp: What do you think of the term "starving artist"? NB: I really hope my answer doesn't offend anyone, but I do believe that the notion has been romanticized somewhat and watered down. Not to slight anyone but I get the feeling that some people use the term to describe themselves just for the sake of it. Not everyone that labels themselves as a 'starving artist' is in fact a starving artist. I believe that yes, they may be 'not very well-off artists' but certainly by no means starving and I am not saying that the 'starving artist' doesn't exist as I do know some genuine people who fit the mold, I just don't think everyone who says they are, really are.

Title: The Good, The Bad And The Dead Writer: Neil Burke Publisher: Trestle Press rjp: Would you rather have an engaged & loyal but, ultimately, small Indie readership or work on the latest Spidey, Wolverine or X - book? [the old Art vs Commerce question] NB: This is a tough one; on the one hand, I would be more than happy to have a loyal, small indie readership, but on the other hand, I've always, always said that if given the chance, I would kill to work for the Big Two. At one point, not long after I had started writing I stuck a post-it note to my laptop, and wrote on it: Punisher, Luke Cage & Iron Fist, Spider-Woman, Hellblazer, Batman These are the books I would love to write one day, if you look under the 'bio' tab on my Facebook profile, it says "I will win an Eisner for Best Ongoing Series, (which would be Luke Cage at Marvel)", pretty egotistical in retrospect but I think that sums up my feelings on the subject; I want people to love what I do like I love what Grant Morrison, Garth Ennis, Jason Aaron and Jonathan Hickman do.

rjp: Do you feel more a sense of community with other artists or a sense of competition? NB: I do yes, there is a real sense of camaraderie and community within the indie scene, especially on Facebook. Ive met a great deal of people online who have really helped and supported me, these include; Dan Barnes, Nik Poliwko, Danny Kelly, David Naughton-Shires, Robert Butt and Rhiannon Mills, who isnt involved in the comic book scene but writes prose fiction. rjp: How do you market yourself? NB: Marketing myself is not one of my strong points, I suppose I'm very much an introvert when it comes to things like that but I regularly use social media sites; Facebook, Twitter and Google Plus to drum up interest in whatever project I happen to be working on at any given time and I have also just started my first blog where I am going to be posting sneak peaks, and flash fiction pieces, things like that.

Title: ZOMpokalypse [teaser/promo] Creators: Neil Burke [writer] and Scott Twells [artist]

rjp: While traditional publishing and distribution has become a difficult goal to achieve for the modern Indie comic creator, what do you think of the impact that social networks and POD services have had as an alternate means of connecting you, your work and your audience? NB: Without social media I wouldn't have seriously committed myself to writing, as I said in my answer to question one, it was getting on Facebook and meeting like minded people that spurred me on. I think social media is a very good tool for connecting with not only prospective readers, but other writers, artists and other creative types. rjp: Do you have any big plans, shows or Cons coming up? NB: I'm doing Ka-Pow Comic Con next year, as is Scott Twells, my ZOMpokalypse collaborator, and David Naughton-Shires, the owner of KnightWatch Press and we are doing a special ZOMpokalypse oneshot called 'It Happened At Comic Con' that we are going to take with us which is basically 'Cosplayers and Fanboys vs Zombies', and it's going to be a lot of fun to write. rjp: How would you like your art / writing, and by extension yourself, to be remembered? NB: Damn, you like these tough questions. I suppose I would just like people to remember that I wrote kick ass action scenes, good (some might say transgressive) stories and several damn cool characters. Even if one person remembers that Ill be happy. rjp: Id like to thank Neil for taking the time to participate in this article and hope all of our genre loving RKYV readers enjoyed this look at one of the indie scenes modern masters in the making - a creator with a definite talent for terror!!

Title: ZOMpokalypse [covers 1 - 4] Creators: Neil Burke [writer] and Danny Kelly [cover artist]

Halloween Costumes
< RKYV Cover Design Master, David Marshall & Dorothy Em

face make up by Roger Price >

______________________________________________________________________ ISSUE 50 Featured Creator Review

Art in Focus... Orly Shalem

by r. j. par

Title: Desert [Expressive Gallery collection] Media Used: acrylic on canvas Size: 50 x 50 cm

rjp: The colours suggest the exact opposite of what most people think & feel about the desert. In stead of a sense of burnt emptiness, we are faced in this piece with a vibrant sky of varying blues more suggestive of the ocean this desert may have once been.

Artist's Statement: Painting is a poem, a thrust of joy, a cry, a craving, a quest, a longing... Painting is a need to express myself with colors and shapes where words are lacking or are not enough. My paintings are mainly abstract, painted with a variety of tools and techniques. I believe that shapes and colors are a universal language that touches everyone. The process of creation is an unplanned journey into the depths of my soul. It starts from my need to express myself and spirals to the point where I feel the painting is complete. I enjoy hearing about how my paintings are experienced and seen by their spectators. I am often surprised and enriched by the diverse reactions and interpretations by viewers. My goal as an artist is to touch and excite people beyond understanding. My muse: Little moments of excitement and grace, and all of the beauty surrounding us. My web site: www.orlyshalem.com http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/orly-shalem.html

Red abstract
[Expressive Gallery collection] Media Used: acrylic on canvas Size: 100 x 100 cm

Title:

rjp: While Red abstract does use a palette thats predominantly red [languid swirls and strokes of red, orange & yellow] it is the golden beige seed-shape, seemingly resting in a woven basket of the same pigment, that draws the eye.

I hope everyone has enjoyed this continuing review of some of Orlys beautiful work. I encourage RKYV readers to share their impressions of these pieces with us by posting to our twitter feed http://twitter.com/#!/RKYVOnline or by sharing http://www.facebook.com/groups/2399067108/ on our facebook group.

Organ Head by Stephen Gibb

Short Fiction

y therapist has been telling me, for years, that keeping a journal is a good way to sort out the nasty thoughts that seem to stick in my head. Ive done it often, but never could bring myself to write about Zully or the Bombers or that dark afternoon in October of 1986. After what happened today though after what I saw I think its finally time I explain it all. No matter how fucked up itll seem. The day I met Zully started out like any other day. I was sitting in class, staring out the window wondering if I was going to manage to get home that day without getting my head handed to me by Julie Hammells and his horde of psychos.

Part One

Mrs. Reynolds was quizzing the class about the short story we had just read; The Monkeys Paw. I was barely paying attention but didnt worry about her calling on me. I had read the story twelve times and knew it almost by heart. Back in 86, I was 11 years old and lived every day afraid for my life. I didnt really have any friends in school and that seemed to help the bully patrol zero in on me. Leading that patrol was Julie Hammells. I have no idea how old he was, but it was obvious he was older than the rest of the class. The rumour was that he was as old as 15, but I tend to doubt that. Most likely he was 13 but to look at him you could see why some would think he was older. He wore a dark denim jacket with a heavy metal band mascot on the back. It was an image of the seemingly dead figure controlling the devil on puppet strings. It was creepy. Julie also smoked. Yeah, it was a clich, but he followed it. Outside of school it was rare you didnt see him with a cigarette behind his ear and another lodged in his mouth. Sarah Rodgers, one of the few kids that seemed to speak to me on a slightly regular basis, once said that Julie was mean because of his name. His name was actually Julius, but no one, not even the teachers called him that. Walking around with a girls name seemed to have given him a very large chip on his shoulder. Anyway, Julie was the leader of The Bombers. To call them a gang would have been laughable. It was a few kids that basically did everything that Julie did, and that meant it was mostly hanging around, looking tough and pushing smaller kids around. Besides Julie there was Donnie Merrill, a nasty 12 yr old who always wore a sneer; and Frankie Tooth Sheppard, a short 11 year old who claimed to have

knocked all the teeth out of some nameless kids mouth during a fight. No one messed with the Bombers, but it was mainly because of Julie. There was something wrong with him. You could see it in his eyes. On this particular September afternoon I was actually on a streak. It had been at least four days since I had been in the Bombers crosshairs. For me that was almost a record during the school year. However the last hour or so of class it seemed every time I looked up Julie was staring at me. I didnt know what to do. In the past I had tried smiling at him in a friendly way, but that had enraged him and he smacked me around after school claiming I was laughing at him. To meet his gaze was unthinkable, so I just pretended to not notice. I know this would do me no good either. Julie hated me. There were a number of reasons why Im sure. I was smart. I was skinny and weak looking. I read a lot. I was alone more often than not. It seems when you dont quite fit in you draw attention to yourself. Pick and choose any of those, but I was a constant target for the Bombers. I avoided them as much as possible and was lucky that Julie was often kept after school, thus giving me the chance to bolt home at full speed before he could come out. My thought process was broken by the sound of the bell. I jumped up and shoved my books into my knapsack and darted for the door even as Mrs. Reynolds was reminding us of our homework. I had already done it during recess, sitting alone under a tree while the rest of the classes played kickball. I knew no one would pick me so I didnt bother to line up for any of the recess games any more. Better to get my homework done when I could at get more time for my own pursuits after school. I had dashed down the hall and out the side door before the last of the bells had finished their chime. As I passed the window of our classroom I could see Julie

was still inside and my heart soared. I smiled and a giggle escaped, knowing I would avoid a smack-down for an entire week, a new record. I was so happy that I didnt notice Donnie and Tooth standing at the end of the pathway leading to the sidewalk until I almost ran smack into them.

Well hi there Jelly-Leg Jason. Donnie casually greeted me, his perpetual sneer worn like a badge. Where are you going in such a hurry? Yeah, whats your hurry Jelly-legs? Tooth echoed. I had been so intent on watching Julie that I had forgotten about his two sidekicks. My eyes must have been very wide. Both had a very amused look on their faces. III I stuttered. I, I, I Donnie mocked me. You werent looking to avoid us were you? Nn no! I managed to say. I I j just have to get home. Oh. Donnie responded, sounding strangely chipper. Well get going then. And you have a nice weekend. I had no idea what the hell that meant, but I wasnt going to argue. Donnie sounded way too nice. It was scary. T thanks, you guys too. I said and started to walk briskly away. I had only gotten about fifteen feet away when Donnie called out to me. Oh Jason his voice sang out sweetly.

I stopped and winced. I turned around slowly. Donnie and Tooth were standing, both with their arms crossed and big smiles on their faces. I could see Julie walking down the path slowly behind them. Hold on, I think Julie wants to walk home with you. Tooth laughed. My heart tripled its pounding speed and I did something so unexpected that it even took me by surprise. I ran. I had never run from them before. I had seen other kids run, but it always seemed to make it worse once they were caught. Better to get it over with then draw it out, but I was so determined to make it a whole week without being beat up that it became very important to me. So I ran. It took them by complete surprise and gave me a little more of a head start. Get back here you fucking weasel! I heard Julie roar at me. I put my head down and ran as hard as I could. I bolted down the street and turned down the next one and headed for the main road. Maybe traffic and other people would scare them off. Two blocks became three and then four. I ran as hard as I could and I didnt know what was louder the pounding of my heart or the pounding of the feet chasing me. I hit the main road I was aiming for and ran hoping someone would stop to see why I was running or more importantly, why I was being chased. No one seemed to notice though and my pursuers kept after me hard. Looking back, I think the main reason I was able to stay as far ahead as I did was because the three bullies were smokers. Even at such a young age the cigarettes had taken enough of a toll.

I knew I couldnt stay ahead forever though and my mind raced for an idea. Youre a dead man dickface!! Julie screamed at me, a good 40 feet or so behind. It was the sudden sound of his voice that made me turn towards the parkway trails. The Eastern State Parkway ran throughout the county. Behind the parkway was a set of wooded trails that got deeper and deeper the more east you went. Adults were always telling kids to stay out of the trails. It was dangerous and easy to get lost in. Well, lost was what I wanted to do and I headed down the hill towards the edge of the trails. You dont have the fucking guts to go in there! I heard Donnies voice carry over to me. And when you stop were going to make you wish you were never born!!! Not that I needed any more motivation, but Donnies words spurred me on and I didnt hesitate as I crossed into the trees. I started zig zagging though brush and trees, jumping over fallen branches and ducking through vines. I pushed on a good ten minutes, still at full speed, not risking a glance back. Im not sure how much longer I ran before I realized I couldnt hear them behind me anymore. Ahead I could see what looked almost like a dome of brush and vines. I headed for it figuring I could duck behind it and take a look to see if they were still following me. I burst into it, still at full speed but got my foot tangled in some vines. I pitched forward and burst through a second wall of brush, then hit the ground hard. It was a very good thing I had. I lay on my stomach for a second, not moving and my eyes closed. I listened very intently. I heard nothing. I listened for a minute, holding my breath afraid to make one tiny sound. Finally, I looked up and opened my eyes. About two feet in front of me was the edge of a hole.

Had I not tripped on the vines I would likely have run right into it and fell in. I got on my knees, turned around and poked my head out of the brush. I couldnt see very far and I still didnt hear any sounds beyond birds. I pulled back into the little enclosed dome that the brush and vines made and thought. Were they out there and waiting for me to show myself? I think I had lost them, but I couldnt be sure. I decided to sit and wait a little. I had a rough idea of how to get back to the main road, but even if I had lost them, the Bombers might be waiting for me to come out. Better to spend some time hidden. I turned back around to look at the hole I had almost run into. The edge made it look deep. I crawled to the edge of it and looked down. It wasnt too bad. Seven, maybe eight feet down. It was a sudden drop, not a gradual one. If I had fallen in I dont see how I would have gotten out. However, the hole itself wasnt what made my blood run cold. It was the thing lying at the bottom of the hole. It was a body. One that looked quite dead. I was frozen to the spot. I stared at the body and trembled. It looked like it had been a man. Most of the clothing on the body was in tatters. There were a few tuffs of hair still on its head but it looked mostly bald. I had no way in knowing what he had died of, but the body looked like it had been down there for a very long time. A strange smell that reminded me of over ripe bananas lifted up to my nose, but it didnt smell as bad as I would have thought. I let out a breathy cough and I think I would have slowly backed away and ran out in another few seconds if the body hadnt suddenly picked that moment to move. To this day I cannot tell why I didnt run screaming. I was certainly terrified. Years later I heard about people being so scared that their bodies refused to allow them to move and that must have been it

or maybe I was just as scared about being caught by the Bombers. In any case, I knelt there trembling and unable to look away as the body shifted, then tried to rise... It managed to get to its knees, but then fell. A few seconds went by then it tried to get up again. It got to its knees again but didnt seem to be able to stand. It took me a minute to realize that one of its legs were broken and bent in the wrong direction. The body managed to get itself in a sitting position and it looked up at me. I stared back, unable to move. Then it reached up and seemed to wave.

Before I even realized what I was doing I waved back. The bodys arms stayed up, still moving in a waving like motion. It wasnt until years later that I thought that it was likely reaching up in an effort to get to me more than it was actually waving to me. My eleven year old brain didnt think of that though.

______________________________________________________________________ ISSUE 51 Short Fiction

In the previous issue, the superpowered

Rush, for the purpose of imbuing his 2 companions with superpowers, had kidnapped Steven. Steven shook the hand of Bob and shortly thereafter Bob had the ability to control electricity.

Rush thought for a moment, then answered. I was hoping he would cooperate more. We could have built an army but if we leave him alive he might make more heroes. I think we have to kill him. A heat began building up in Steves stomach as terror set in. Just at that moment, however, the door burst open and standing there was Susan and Curtis, or rather Amazing Woman and Power Man, in full costume. Oh shit! Bob yelled, as Rush became a blur. The blur that was Rush started for the only door in the apartment but Power Man braced himself and held out his arm at just the right moment. Rush flew backwards upon contact and lay unconscious. Beware the incredible JOLT! Bob yelled menacingly as he let out several arcs of wicked bright electricity. Steven found the hero name he chose uninspired yet fairly accurate. Two wild bolts of electricity singed and zapped the doorframe before fizzling out.

AWESOME! Bob roared. That could come in handy Rush reasoned. You next Gabby Gary. he said to the final young man in the apartment. The name was obviously ironic as the slight youth had yet to utter a word. He stretched his hand out to Steven who reluctantly shook it, not knowing how else he was going to get out of this predicament. Again there was a stronger reaction on behalf of Gary than for Steve as he stumbled across the room, holding his hand as if it were badly burnt. What do we do about him now? Bob asked while pointing at the hapless Steven.

Seriously?! Susan/Amazing Woman quipped as she raised her arm toward the stunned Jolt. He promptly elevated to the ceiling, face first, with a violent crash and a spare extension cord rose to hogtie the hapless villain. Bobs whimpers of pain became the only sound in Stevens apartment. Steven scanned the apartment to find Gabby Gary skulking behind a doorframe to hide from the 2 heroes in the apartment. One more! Steven yelled in one of his least eloquent moments as he pointed toward the silent henchman. Power Man ran toward Gary as his steps thundered on the floor. Gary, in a state of fright, ran right towards a wall then right through it. In fact, Gary just phased right through the wall, and out the other side, judging by the frightened yells in the unit next door. Power Man, go calm the people next door and call the police to pick these two up Susan said as she motioned to the two prone super-villains. Jolt was now on the floor beside the still unconscious Rush and he was crying softly. Susan made sure Steven was okay and waited until the police left with Rush and Jolt in custody to speak with Steven. Power Man came back shortly after the officers left and reported that Gary was long gone. After closing the door and curtains, the two worried heroes removed their masks and sat down on the worn out couch. Susan turned to Steven. You are lucky that weve been having someone watch you. You could have been killed. Steven blanched as he remembered the coldly uttered words from Rush. He was unable to articulate; nonetheless, Susan had plenty to say. I read your books and from what Ive been able to gather, you knew your whole life that you would be... super powered one day. You dreamed of glory and acts of heroism through the pages of your comic. Susan paused a moment I dont think you realized what you were doing when you gave me my powers or even Curtis...

...but I am certain you realized, or at least strongly suspected, what your ability was at the time you created Rush. Why? It should have been me! Steven cried out, and even to his ears it sounded whiny and childish. I made a mistake. He whispered. You have the most amazing powers and all you thought of was the accolades and attention! Susan was yelling now. She turned away until she was able to calm herself. Then she moved over so that she was sitting right next to Steven. . You have the most amazing, powerful ability. You decide whether the world gains heroes or villains. The entire balance between good and evil is, quite literally in your hands. Susan let that sink in before continuing. I dont think you are safe here in this life anymore. There is a skinny kid who can walk through walls who knows where you live. We have acquired sponsorship. This gentleman is funding a headquarters for heroes and he really wants to meet you.

Through careful screening, we can find people who have the right stuff to become the good guys. We can expand our organization and you can be right there, assisting us in helping others. All of your super characters in your comics were saving people and righting wrongs. Is that who you want to be? Maybe only a select few will know but trust me, whenever I save a life or bring a criminal to justice, I think of you and how you are my hero. A headquarters? Steven said quietly. Susan nodded. With super awesome technology and a big glass table for meetings? Susan smiled her brilliant, beautiful smile Yes to the first and we need more bodies to fill a large table. Then Im your guy! Steven beamed. All three left the apartment, Stevens computer was the only thing they brought. As a young child, Steven dreamedno, he KNEWthat he would one day be like the heroes in books and movies. He would sneak to the stairs and listen to the news on TV, then he would lie in his bed and dream of helping those people from the reports before they were murdered or beaten. He would imagine catching the bad guys so that they couldnt hurt anyone else and when he was VERY young before people called him crazyhe just flew away before the cameras arrived to help the next potential victim.

Note: special thanks to Roger Price for the illustrations on this and the previous page.

by Mike Grattan

This Idiot Box Random Spotlight

by Darke Raven

______________________________________________________________________ RKYV ONLINE Printed as PDF | Nov. 2011 | rkyv.online@rogers.com This months unifying thread is the joining of the past to the present, and the present to the future. The random connection? The Tim Burton era Batman the Animated Series and future shock sequel Batman Beyond. So lets get to it shall we?

Batman: The Animated Series

Year: 1992 (2012: Batman TAS' 20th Anniversary) Season 1 Episode 18: Beware The Grey Ghost Featuring Adam West as Simon Trent / The Grey Ghost First off, before we go any further, I must note that the episode numbering in question is only in regards to how they are numbered by the PlayStation Network Store, and if memory serves it by no means reflects an actual portrayal of the episode list if you compare it to the list on Wikipedia or possibly other download services like Netflix. Ok, lets get to it. Season 1, Episode 18. Not so much a character crossover as a generational one, Beware The Grey Ghost teams up Silver Age Batman Adam West (in live action TV movie and animated Batman of the era) with Modern Age Batman voice actor Kevin Conroy. In the youth of Bruce Wayne he was a fan of the golden age TV hero the Grey Ghost, a character which inspired Bruce Wayne's own future in some ways as the Batman... read between the lines however and its the modern Batman inspired by the silver age Batman which is cool even if Adam West is seemingly a golden age Shadow looking character... I think.

Someone is mimicking an episode of the Grey Ghost, holding Gotham hostage with bombs, sending Bruce on a quest to search first for the episode then for the Grey Ghost himself, Simon Trent. As you probably guessed the golden age of this golden age hero? Not so golden. Down on his luck he has to sell his Grey Ghost collection to pay the rent, including his old uniform - only for a mysterious bateared fanboy to buy it all back for him and invite him for a meet at the next bombing A five out of five... now speaking of target, an Art school. Batman Beyond? After a not so sterling first meeting and That's next. acquiring the episode in question (which brings back memories of happier times for Bruce as well as the answer to how the bombings were done) we move on to the Year: 1999 next bombing which turns out to be the (2014: Batman Beyond public library. 15th Anniversary) Season 1 Episode 5: Meltdown During the next bombing incident who Season 1 Episode 9: The Winning Edge should show up to help Batman but the Featuring Michael Ansara Grey Ghost, ultimately leading to the as Victor Fries/Mr. Freeze identity of the Mad Bomber... hint... its the obvious choice. Batman Beyond was from a time DC Comics was cranking out memorable fare. I know what youre thinking. So what? Its The Tim Burton Era Batman, Superman, a throwaway episode. By no means is this a Static Shock (though for some reason its throwaway episode, the Grey Ghost not included in the DC Comics section of reference shows up in further Batman the PlayStation Network Store), Justice episodes. One reference I definitely League, and Batman Beyond. Yes I know remember it in is Batman Beyond, as Bruce right now theyre cranking out Batman The has inherited the costume years later Brave and the Bold and Young Justice but putting his idol's costume on display in the somehow Im just not biting... eh, let me Batcave alongside other memories of his know when there is a new Green Lantern time as the Batman. series, Birds of Prey, or something.

Batman Beyond

A great team up, pity such things are rare, Episode 5, Meltdown has evil head of if youre looking for the best team-ups of Wayne Powers, Derek Powers, with a lot to the Batman this should be in your trouble him. The new Batman is causing collection. him grief, and his new radioactive condition is getting worst.

Apparently inspired by nicotine patches, somebody is marketing venom in easy to use patch format and selling it to Gotham's one dumb jock Mason. When investigating the rather lonely slapper trade, however, Terry is caught carrying slappers by his mom who thinks he is Gotham slapper addict number two. So it should be easy enough to investigate since this isn't the Schumacher Batman movies, and the only creator of venom was its intelligent user Bane... too bad Bane is messed up from years of venom addiction, unable to be So when a pinch hitter female scientist behind the plot at hand... sadly like voiced by Linda Hamilton drops in with a Beware the Grey Ghost the guilty party solution he's all radioactive glowing ears. is also the obvious choice. She has a plan to build Powers a new body and uses the long living Futurama style This wasn't as great as Meltdown... but still bottled head of Mr Freeze to experiment pretty cool for your collection since the crossovers, with the classic Batman foes, with the technology. [short of the new Royal Flush Gang] are these two episodes, the Talia episode and Bruce? the movie starring Mark Hamill as the He's so not going for it even if Terry is Joker. convinced of Freeze's reformed state. When the treatment fails, however, and Freeze's Meltdown is an icy cold 5 out of 5, while the new body begins to revert back to being Winning Edge gathers together 3 addicts unable to survive outside of below 50 out of 5 for therapy... well, they couldn't all degrees the doc tries to kill him in order to be perfect autopsy his organs. Big mistake. First time Next Issue? The Randomness of... Powers calls himself Blight by the way. ...Celebrating Christmas! Overall its a bittersweet ending to a great crossover with Michael Ansara as Mr. Freeze. Episode 9, The Winning Edge, pits the new Batman not so much against a villain of the original Batman but that villains legacy. The villain is Bane; the legacy is his muscle pumping addictive drug venom. Somebody is hooking the strange future athletes of Terry's school with venom slappers; well the one athlete... does one athlete count as an epidemic?

Mr. Clean by Stephen Gibb

______________________________________________________________________ RKYV ONLINE Printed as PDF | Nov. 2011 | rkyv.online@rogers.com

On Writing...

Walk This World #1

By Mick Edwards
Welcome to my first column for RKYV ezine. You probably do not know who I am, so allow me to introduce myself. My name is Michael L. Edwards, author of the comic book story Return Of Jeremy Munroe. I am also a novelist writing a fantasy / adventure novel and several other projects. To begin, I want to talk about character and viewpoint in the current era. When writing a story no matter the genre, it is important to get inside the head of the characters in the book whether they are minor or major characters. To do this, often enough research is needed. For a Historical romance novel I will be doing after my current novel, I have rented all sorts of books about 16th century Scotland so I can grasp the mindset, views, superstitions, and fears of the people during that time. To make your character reflective of the mindset created in your book, whether in contrast, or not, you have to understand the character as much, if not better than yourself. When writing women, you have to know what they go through. It is not enough to have them talk about tampons, douching, showing them receiving anal sex, or performing oral sex. That is only superficial facets of a womans character. You have to show their fears, their joys, their hatred, their expectations, and disappointments.

Through reading novels about women by women, and I don't mean romance novels, but novels about fair treatment, rape, and the topics that concern them. You get a firmer grasp on what women experience, how they deal with it, and how they act. This goes the same for writing strong African American characters with either Islamic beliefs, or any other religion. Or any other race that your character is modeled after. You have to know what needs to be known in order to make your characters sound like authentic people. In order to capture the mindset of older African Americans, ones who experienced the prejudice of the South so many years ago, I have taken to reading novels by African American authors who speak candidly about those times through the stories they crafted. It gives me a sense of their world view compared to my own, and what I need do to make my African American characters authentic. Research plays a big part in the work of us authors. Some of the finer and more successful writers do research: Orson Scott Card, Stephen King, among others. Do not be afraid to indulge works that you normally would not bother with, to make your characters real enough to your audience. You need that sort of insight that you cannot get anywhere else. In part two, next month, I will speak on right vs wrong: What English teachers have taught you and how it affects a writer. - Mick

Steve McQueen by Corinne Vuillemin [Crayons de papier/Pencils on paper]

______________________________________________________________________ RKYV ONLINE Printed as PDF | Oct. 2011 | rkyv.online@rogers.com

Poetry

Selected Poems
by Marie Lecrivain

Bio: Marie Lecrivain is a writer / editor / photographer who currently resides in Los Angeles, CA. Her newest collection of short stories, Bitchess (copyright 2011 Sybaritic Press), is available for purchase at Amazon.com and Smashwords.com.

Dear Troy,
On the outside looking in, I cant begin to imagine how you must have felt to say goodbye again to friends & loved ones, to put aside those desires left unfulfilled, & to forgive a universe full of ignorant savages who define redemption along old testament lines. I hope you were able to leave this world knowing that you are a symbol of hope to those who had none, a source of inspiration to continue the fight, & a clarion call to awaken the sleepers.

Commission piece, for Alex G by Stephen Gibb

ceylon satori

On a muggy morning,
muted light leaks through dusty blinds & spills into the Pontiac red booth where I'm seated in Dinah's 3-star diner, the pit stop for blue collar hopes & dreams.

I seek satisfaction from my pot of earl gray tea, inhale bergamont steam, hold the warmth of the cup against my cheek ceylon-scented breezes wafting over me.

The sudden appearance of bacon & eggs with a side of whole wheat toast, pulls me back into the mediocrity of the American dream.

the diner through sepia eyes by r. j. par

moon tanka
morning moon fades into blue sky my day begins anew

sliver moon at sunrise by r. j. par

Selected Poem & Art

by Tindersen Blacktree Hoopdriver
One foot In that car Leaned, Put itself down Stepped out And then back in From the cold open air. In good timing for stop motion footage of willsaid seated, The dead The chip that ruled the day By the hand of a voodoo queen Warm from the cold. Sweeping the weed Aside. On through! With mud-tipped hair Wading through Reflections of Sand and sky And shrinking angels... Touched down Twice, fouice. Traffic lights between Red & green

Planting Seed Tangent

unemployed again by r. j. par

Comic Book Review

______________________________________________________________________ RKYV ONLINE Printed as PDF | Nov. 2011 | rkyv.online@rogers.com

by r. j. par

DC Comics

The New 52
Final Thoughts

We

are a few weeks in now, as I write this, and we have seen an excellent short term spike in sales. Some of the books have slightly modified back stories while some have wiped out previous continuity. Heck, I'll even admit some of these books have been pretty fun reads. That being said, this New 52 is quite rapidly leading to my saving more of my comic buying dollars and spending them on Indies.

I mean, come on, Starfire as a brain damaged nympho? WTF?! Could they take misogyny any further?

While Aquaman & Nightwing were pretty Supermans changes don't work for me cool reads, other books like Red Hood and either, or at least you need a scorecard to the Outlaws showed utter disdain for the keep track of who, what & where. characters involved.

In some books [Justice League] he is portrayed as an Image style brash hero - in others [Action] he is being portrayed as a year one beginner. Not sure where each fits - I assume Action is set in the past of new DCU. Either way, neither of the new Supermen [or Superboy who is nothing like his prior incarnation either] is very much like the image of Superman we've come to know and love: The giant Boy Scout who inspires the rest of the heroes.

In fact - by renumbering the two longest running series of ALL comics [Action & Detective] -- DC very well may have shot themselves in the foot - as far as hardcore collectors go... And let's be honest, it is the hardcore fans who sustain the industry in between "events." I have now whittled my DC titles down to a precious few and wonder, once the hype wears down, where DC Comics goes if many long-time readers feel the same as I do? DC Comics I bought before New 52 - I was reading: All the Green Lantern Books [GL, GL Corps, GL Emerald Warriors], Batman & Robin, Teen Titans, Titans, Green Arrow, Justice Society, The Outsiders, Justice League, Flash, Secret Six & Wonder Woman.

I understand that this may be more in line with his 1930's roots [I've never read those stories, so cannot say] --- but millions of fans are more familiar with the character, in the years since [and including] Christopher Reeve. The greatest strength of the DCU was the mythology behind the characters. By starting over on many titles there is a "fatigue factor" that leaves readers wondering "why bother?" The erasing of so many characters histories [Green Arrow, Roy Harper, Donna Troy, JSA, etc etc etc] --- well all that did was chase a lot of long-time readers away - which sales will reflect once the short-term lookie-loos [those who showed up to buy #1s] disappear.

DC Comics I bought after New 52 - I am down to: Batman, Green Lantern [just core book], Teen Titans [though it is on bubble - am really only buying out of habit], Nightwing & Aquaman, which are the only two that really have me hooked. I may drop down to just those two in a couple more months.

The Walking Dead Me by r. j. par

Raised on Saturday Morning Cartoons

by Pauline Par

A Fairy Tale Halloween

______________________________________________________________________ RKYV ONLINE Printed as PDF | Oct. 2011 | rkyv.online@rogers.com This love of fantasy and fairy lore on Halloween is why this was a great time of year to introduce two fairy tale series to television. After reading descriptions and seeing the trailers for both series, I was leaning towards Grimm as my favourite of the two. It is the more adult of the two and deals with supernatural mysteries. After I saw two episodes of Once Upon a Time and the premiere of Grimm, I am now leaning towards Once Upon a Time as my favourite. Even though Grimm was the second to premiere, due to my busy schedule and PVR dependence, I saw it first. Grimm features the character Nick Bernhardt, whos dying aunt informs him that he is the last of the bloodline for the famous Grimm brothers and that there is a dark family secret.

Halloween

is about scary costumes and things that go bump in the night but it has also become about fantasy. People dress up to be someone or something they are not for a night. My daughter chose as her costume a fairy princess. Should anyone dare to say What a cute fairy or Such a pretty princess she would firmly and quickly correct themI am a fairy princess! She is truly adorable.

The tales are all real and only a Grimm can see that world of beings that is meshed with our own. The plot is original and interesting on the surface and I loved the character of Eddie Monroe played by Silas Weir Mitchell who I first enjoyed watching in Prison Break. The main character I found a little bland.

Once Upon a Time is that rare series that is fun for the whole family. The acting is much better than I expected. Jennifer Morrison made the sassy, strong Emma Swann her own in just 2 short episodes. I expected Robert Carlyle to be good and he did not disappoint as the sly Mr. Gold aka Rumplestiltskin. To be honest, there was not a performance that I didnt like so far. The characters are interesting and well written and acted. Some are more interesting than others, mind you, such as the ones I mentioned and Ginnifer Goodwin as Snow White and Lana Parilla as the Evil Queen and adoptive mother of Emmas child.

I think there is a chance that David Giuntoli will find a way to bring some more originality and character to Eddie in further episodes. It was not his acting as much as the writing I thought was weak. I found David Boreanaz became a better and more interesting Angel as that series went on until that character became one of my favourites. The concept of Grimm is interesting enough and so far the baddies are awesomely cool. The plot of the premiere seemed a little safe to me and slightly predictable. I think if this show starts to take more chances it could be quite good. I plan to keep watching to see if that happens. I normally find children in television series to be irritating but I adore Henry! Jared Gilmore is Henry, the biological son of our main character, Emma. He is wicked smart and razor sharp with his quips. Truly, he is the hero of the series so far as he dares to bring Emma Swann to magical town of Storybrooke to fulfill her destiny. We watched it with our children and they loved it just as much as we did. I hope that this series catches on because after just 2 episodes, I feel that I really need to see how this series ends.

After seeing these series I feel both are worth trying but Once Upon a Time is the show that will draw you and your entire family into this wonderful fantasy world. Speaking of fantasy series, Game of Thrones returns in early 2012!! (Note to parentsNOT for kids!!)

by Corinne Vuillemin crayons de papier/pencils on paper, 42x30 cm (Aot/Aug 2010)