THE MIGHTY Q&A: Ben McCool - 13th Dimension

British comic creator Ben McCool has a string of indie Image Comics books you’d be familiar with from the racks (Pigs, Choker, Memoir) as well as more mainstream titles such as Justice League Unlimited. He also has the honor of being the only comic creator who lives in New York that I’ve done any barhopping with, including a stop at Fenway Park’s Bleacher Bar.

In November, Ben and Valiant Comics released a new type of digital comic combining the best parts of digital native storytelling with 8-bit video games of our youth. I quite literally bought an iPad days later. Here at the Mighty Q &A, Ben tells us about Valiant 8-Bit Adventure: Unity.

Thanks for joining us, Ben! Writing Valiant 8-Bit Adventure, a prelude to Unity, must have been different for you. Did you work with the artist Donovan Santiago on the pacing and animations?

My pleasure, good sir! And for sure, the Valiant 8-bit Adventure was a break from the norm for me. In the best possible sense, though! It’s also the first project I’ve written for Valiant, and it appeared to go down very well with fans.

Donovan Santiago was brilliant to work with — the guy’s skills are off the charts, especially as he’s producing such unique and imaginative art. My script was put together in a format I’d never really used before, mainly due to the “motion” effects that incorporate two, three, sometimes even four different images within a single (oversized) panel. And Donovan was certainly a big help in me figuring that out, along with our top-notch editor, Josh Johns. But once I’d got the hang of it the transition was pretty straightforward, not least because the story was so much fun!

[READ MORE at 13th DIMENSION]

EARTH PRIME TIME: SUMMER OF VALIANT ’13 PART 1 WITH 8-BIT COVERS

We’re at a year into the relaunch of popular ’90s comic book publisher Valiant Comics and just in time for another Summer of Valiant. We’ll try not to get any water on these comics as we sit by the pool, drink in the sun and follow the adventures of Archer and Armstrong and Shadowman in our summer series that celebrates successes on our first birthday of our cherished Valiant Comics. Also, we take a look at their cool 8-bit variant covers and Harbinger Wars: Battle For Las Vegas free retro video game for iOS andAndroid.

A look through the Earth Prime Time Archives will show you what we have an affinity for, and that’s the story of an independent publisher rising from near obscurity. Valiant was fortunate enough to have a loyal fanbase to rebuild on their properties long thought lost to many die-hard comic fans. It is the underdog story that Bostonians write about ad nauseam and tend to wear on our sleeves. This column was only a few months old when X-O Manowar #1 hit the shelves, and naturally we have covered most major events in the universe since then.

What can we say a year in?

There is likely a better reaction to the Valiant books, on a whole, than after the first twelve months of DC’s New 52initiative.

Marvel NOW! reaction from fans seems to be split between both positive and negative, with a varied selection of titles appealing to different kinds of fans.

Valiant’s strength lies in not relying on a 75 or 50 year history to complicate matters.

Over at the new publisher, they can make the same kinds of superhero and supernatural books with the industry’s top talent and a completely clean slate. There certainly are nods to the previous continuity as fan service, but with low-numbered issues and trades, the appeal to a new audience without being intimidated by continuity allows for an easier entry point.

As far as the old characters go, Valiant has paced the introduction of new books, concepts, leading heroes and villains, and background information on the shared universe in a way that paints a lush tapestry but does not rely on throwing everything at you at once.

Let’s take a look at two books that are coming out today, Archer and Armstrong #10 and Shadowman #7.

Both books ship with an 8-bit variant cover that ties into their cool 8-bit side scroller Harbinger Wars: Battle for Las Vegas (Storm City Games).

[READ MORE AT DIGBOSTON.COM]

5/18 ANAMANAGUCHI, Time Wharp, Infinity Shred @anamanaguchi at TheSinclair‎ - @BoweryBoston @LeaguePodcast #MM #chiptune

Saturday, May 18 // ALL AGES 7:30 PM

ANAMANAGUCHI
with Time Wharp, Infinity Shred
$13 Advance / $15 Day Of Show

Tickets at Ticketmaster // This event is all ages

The Sinclair is general admission standing room only. 
Tickets available at TICKETMASTER.COM, or by phone at 800-745-3000. No service charge on tickets purchased in person at The Sinclair Box office Tuesdays-Saturdays 12-7PM, or at the Royale box office Fridays from 12-6PM.

http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/01004A74AD55AE97?brand=sinclair
FB Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/243240112481096/

52 CHURCH STREET
CAMBRIDGE
MA, 02138
617-547-5200

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ANAMANAGUCHI

http://anamanaguchi.com/

The birth of Anamanaguchi must have taken place in the middle of mankind’s greatest sugar high. Oh, there could have been ‘shrooms there too, but we’re betting that it had more to do with loads and loads of pure cane sugar, swallowed in liquid, cubed, granulated or processed form, in copious amounts. It was Jolt soda, cake, ice cream, candy and everything else in between. It was on the sunniest of days and all colors were vibrant and searing. Everyone involved with the delivery and responsible for the creation of this new life-form was coming off of its greatest night of slumber ever and there was an open-ended world to shred and conquer. The rosy-cheeked little thing came out of the womb, was slapped on the ass by the jovial delivering doctor and started laughing hysterically, blowing disco ball kisses in between its unprecedented fits of joyous rapture. The band, an instrumental electronic band from New York, was drawn to Nintendo game consoles, arcade games and all of the plinking and high-score sounds that were coming out of them, ringing in its ears like magical coos. It immediately set out to write punishing and inspired music that would comprise a mixtape that would be the chosen composition of the sky to accompany every plane jumper, skydiver and parachuter. It’s a little known fact that the second anyone takes a leap out of the open hatch of an airplane, thousands of feet above ground, for any recreational purpose whatsoever, the music of Anamanaguchi is suddenly blasting into the ears of those plummeting folks. It’s louder and more exhilarating that any of us down here on the safe ground could ever imagine and it’s a secret that those jumpers keep to themselves, having signed a binding Anamanguchi non-disclosure agreement before pulling the chute cord. The bronzed music was chosen for such an important placement, in part, because as those jumpers land on the run, often on a beach or an open field, the only thing they want to do is jump up and down and rage out with some freaky dance moves for 5-to-10 minutes. The music, as contractually obligated, continues on - at obscene volumes - for that amount of time and these people do their dances.

New York City (2003 – present)

Anamanaguchi is a four-piece group from New York City that combines guitars with the thick, electronic tones of a Nintendo Entertainment System. With driving, dynamic and melodic tracks, they focus on creating sounds that seem bigger than their hardware. A member of the artist collective 8bitpeoples, Peter Berkman has been creating chiptune music since 2003. They have since toured across the country and briefly in the UK and Ireland. Their debut, ‘Power Supply’ EP, was released in 2006 as a free download through 8bitpeoples and has since received over 50,000 downloads.

They also recorded ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: The Game (Original Videogame Soundtrack)’ for the videogame. Their latest full-length album, ‘Dawn Metropolis’ was released March 3, 2009 and features 7 brand new songs sure to rock your face.

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Time Wharp

http://timewharp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/timewharp
Astro Nautico / JASS

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Infinity Shred

http://infinityshred.com/home/
https://www.facebook.com/infinityshred

Discontent with the now, Infinity Shred create music which aims to be the digital harbinger by which the human race once again dreams of tomorrow.

Through years of friendship forged on a shared love of skateboarding and screen printing, Damon Hardjowirogo and George Stroud originally founded the band in 2007 as Starscream. With the 2011 release of the final Starscream LP, “Future, Towards the Edge of Forever,” came the addition of Nathan Ritholz on guitar as well as a collective yearning amongst the members for creative growth by exploring digital synthesis beyond the sole use of the 8-bit hardware as a means of composition.

The group creates multi-chapter electronic anthems inspired by the hopefulness of the space age tinged by the dark feelings that arise in the members when faced with the prospect that the human race may not find it’s way in to forever. Additionally the band creates accompanying visuals for their live shows (performed by or with the help of artist Jean Y. Kim) that clearly illustrate the members’ love of  skateboarding and the bands obsession with the aesthetic of the Italo Disco / Space Synth era.