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BUZZBOY
REVIEWS>>
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Buzzboy
has all the clean cut elements--dialogue,
design, costumes--of a classic
sixties comic. The story follows
the misadventures of a costumed
hero, Buzzboy, former sidekick
to this world's greatest hero,
Ultra a.k.a. Captain Ultra.
Ultra has turned rogue and is
terrorizing all of Paradise
City. Most of the other heroes
and sidekicks of Paradise City
have disappeared, with many
presumed dead. Buzzboy was one
such hero, and has been thought
lost forever, but he's resurfaced
just in time to help combat
Ultra's evil and save the world.
Buzzboy's return sparks the
emergence of the rest of the
super powered element in Paradise
City, and now all of the superheroes
have banded together with one
common goal: restoring order
and peace. With a cartoony style
very reminiscent of classic
Archie Comics, Gallagher introduces
his cast and world. Within a
few pages, the gist of the story
is revealed, drawing readers
into Buzzboy and the duty he
must fulfill. Gallagher's gray
tones add lots of flavor and
flair to the artwork and give
each page more depth and dimension,
and in fact, seem appropriate
for the book's retro feel. Buzzboy
is also a "Where's Waldo"
of sorts with cartoon, comics,
TV, movie, and other characters
drawn into the crowd and background
scenes. From page to page the
reader never knows whose name
will be dropped or who or what
may appear next. It's that unpredictability
and fun that makes Buzzboy something
accessible to everyone.Copyright
© Reed Business Information,
a division of Reed Elsevier
Inc. All rights reserved.
COMICSWORTHREADING.COM
by Johanna Draper Carlson
The
superhero Ultra has taken over,
and people live in fear. His
former sidekick, Buzzboy, previously
thought dead, has teamed up
with a teenage witch named Becca
and Dr. Cyber, a baked-goods-obsessed
ex-supervillain, to try and
fix things. Buzzboy's actions
even inspire other former members
of the Teen Extreme team to
come out of hiding.
The thick black lines and high-contrast
layouts give the whole thing
a cartoony feel, which helps
keep the story upbeat. If Squadron
Supreme and Brat Pack were whipped
cream, this is Cool Whip with
multicolored sprinkles -- similar
ideas, much lighter approach.
In keeping with the diner culture
approach of the book, the milkshake
is the perfect metaphor for
this story. It's made up of
basic genre ingredients tossed
in a blender, flavored with
sitcom references and pop culture
allusions. For instance, when
Buzzboy is held prisoner, his
visions are TV show parodies.
After the story, there's a sketchbook
section patterned after Chip
Kidd's Batman Animated with
background information and samples
of toys fans have made. This
is one of the best independent
superhero books I've read. It's
not just a copy of other people's
work but a loving treatment
of an original character with
a distinctive voice.
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CUSTOM
COMICS NEWS: Santa Comic Kicks
Wolverine's, Superman's Butts!
John "Buzzboy"
Gallagher's New Holiday Comic
Comes in at #11 in Comic Sales
for December, off the Diamond
Charts
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It's
not on the Diamond Top 300 list, and
you won't find it in most comic shops,
but the #11 comic in sales (based
on Diamond sales estimates at ICV2.com)
for December is "Westie's Holiday
Adventures," starring Santa Claus
and Westie the Kangaroo, mascot for
shopping mall chain Westfield. The
book, with a print run of 85,000 copies,
outsold all but the top ten comics
in December, being edged out of the
top ten by Ultimate X-Men, but soundly
beating, Transformers, Wolverine,
and Superman. The Westie comic is
a giveaway comic for children who
visit Santa at 15 Westfield Shoppingtown's
across the country, and it was written
and drawn by John "Buzzboy"
Gallagher of Sky-Dog Press.
"We're thrilled at the response
we're getting from the Westie comic,"
said Gallagher, "kids relate
to the comic as a cartoon on paper,
and parents enjoy the nostalgia and
originality of the story." Besides
being the creator of the new Buzzboy
trade paperback(www.buzzboy.com),
Gallagher is also a graphic designer
specializing in custom comics for
businesses and educational organizations.
Working with Harold Buchholz Print
Services, Gallagher created a 16 page,
full color digest comic telling the
tale of Westie and his sidekicks searching
for Santa. Gallagher was also aided
by a special consultant, Baltimore
Comic-Con organizer Marc Nathan, ,who
owns one of the largest collections
of Christmas giveaway comics in the
world.
Besides the holiday comic, Gallagher,
along with comics inking great John
Beatty, recently completed a tradeshow
giveaway comic for BMDS, an international
biotech company. "I think this
also says something about the validity
of comics as a pop icon," added
Gallagher, "as well as a sign
that there is a big all-ages market
for comics out there."
Those interested in the "Westie
Holiday Adventures" giveaway
comic should visit www.westfield.com
or www.sky-dog.com, and call their
local Westfield Shoppington for details.
"Buzzboy: Trouble in Paradise,"
the new trade paperback from Sky-Dog
Press, hit comic shops' and bookstore
shelves in early December.
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Sky-Dog Creators John Gallagher, Rich Faber, & Chris Bailey will be appearing at the fllowing Appearances & Conventions:
Wizard World
Philadelphia, June 2-4;
San Diego Comic-Con International, July17-21;
Baltimore Comic-Con, September 9-10, 2006!
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