Comics
5 Skull Review: “POP” #1
“POP” #1 is a cultural satire that points an un-shaking finger at the modern music industry and implicates the rest of us along the way. “POP” imagines a world where artists are grown in a lab and kept under control by the record label execs that created them. If you have even an ounce of curmudgeon, you will really appreciate this book.
WRITTEN BY: Curt Pires
ART BY: Jason Copland
PUBLISHER: Dark Horse
PRICE: $3.99
RELEASE: August 27, 2014
Reviewed By Epic Switzer
“POP” is a cynical book, and I mean that in the best way possible. On the surface it is a relatively simple story: a newly incubated pop singer escapes and crosses paths with a typical, down-on-his-luck kind of guy who takes her in. The two are being pursued by a real life pop star (I dare not say who though as that reveal is one of the most enjoyable parts of the book). It is a welcoming enough premise, but what is really so engaging about the book is how dense it is with complex themes about modern culture.
Curt Pires presents many opportunities to reflect on the everyday things that we just accept as normal in this first issue. With this book he is calling us out: We, the sound-bite generation, the culture of mass consumption, blindly perpetuate a cycle of meaningless consumerism. Curt invites us to break our programming and recode; the escape the cycle before we consume ourselves. It’s a profound book, and one that I hope one day can reach a mainstream audience with a film or HBO show because, like Curt, I think the message is important.
I would be remiss not to tell you that Jason Copland’s work is incredible are serves both theme are story better than you can imagine. These archetypes are some of the most human looking characters in comics. When you get to the store just look at the first page. I dare you to not be impressed.
“POP” is uniquely enjoyable and critically important. Even if you think Pires is overly cynical you have to appreciate the initiative. Anyone that tries to wake people up and make them think is a hero to me. No matter how the rest of it plays out, this book won’t soon be forgotten.
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Epic Switzer AKA Eric is an aspiring filmmaker and screenplay writer living in Los Angeles. His work tends to focus on the lighter side of entropy, dystopic futures, and man’s innate struggle with his own mortality. He can be found on twitter @epicswitzer or reached via email at ericswitzerfilm@gmail.com.
Comics
‘Curse of the Where Wolf’ Bites Into August Release With Trio of Werewolf Theatrical Screenings [Exclusive Preview]
Larry Chaney‘s hairy misadventures are continuing in the sequel graphic novel Curse of the Where Wolf from creative team Rob Saucedo, Debora Lancianese, and Jack Morelli, and its author is celebrating with a trio of horror’s greatest werewolf films.
The Curse of the Where Wolf hits shelves on August 7 from Encyclopocalypse Publications.
That coincides with the launch of a theatrical screening event in Houston, Texas, featuring a trio of seminal werewolf flicks turning 45 this year: The Howling on August 7, Wolfen on August 14, and An American Werewolf in London on August 21.
Each screening features a “werewolf in film” presentation as well as a book signing from Where Wolf author and River Oaks Theatre artistic director Rob Saucedo.
In the new graphic novel, “Being a werewolf sucks. Reporter Larry Chaney wanted to be a hero. Instead, he became a werewolf. Now, caught between incredible new powers and a desire to eat everything (and everyone) in sight, Larry must find a cure for his curse. Or die trying.”
“With Where Wolf, I wanted to tell a whodunit set in a furry convention, so the story was pretty contained within a very specific setting and genre. With Curse of the Where Wolf, I wanted to celebrate everything I love about the possibility of comic books. Curse of the Where Wolf is a funny book, in every sense of the phrase, but it’s also an earnest look at a person’s struggle to become a better version of themselves, especially when the alternative is to become a literal monster,” Saucedo says of Curse.
The original graphic novel was previously serialized as the first webcomic hosted on Fangoria before being collected by Encyclopocalypse Publications in 2023 and has already been optioned for film, podcast, and television development ahead of launch by producers James Fino (“The Freak Brothers” for Tubi, “Rick and Morty” for Adult Swim) and Charles Horak (First Date for Magnolia Pictures).
Expect Larry to find himself in even weirder situations in the 362-page full color sequel; Saucedo has provided Bloody Disgusting with exclusive art pages from the upcoming graphic novel that showcase lupine humor.
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