Available Now: Amazing Arizona Comics #45!

Amazing Arizona Comics #45 is now available in print or full-color digital! Learn the strange truth behind the last four -- eight -- twelve -- years of American politics, with the most hair-raising conspiracy theory you've ever heard of!

Click here to select your print or digital copy today!

Amazing Arizona Comics #44 Now Available!

Amazing Arizona Comics #44 is now available for digital download and in print -- featuring TWO brand new stories! June Monsoon vs. The Beer Bugs! Speed Cameron vs. K.A.R.E.N.! Read it to believe it!

Click HERE for the 99 cent digital download...

...and/or click HERE for the $2 print edition. Price INCLUDES shipping! 

Shop TRIBE Direct for more indie comics goodness, including all back issues of Amazing Arizona Comics, and stay tuned for #45, coming next month!

Now Available!

Now available!  The Amazing Arizona Comics 24 Hour Full Color Comic Special was drawn and colored in the window of downtown Glendale's Drawn to Comics from 1 p.m. on June 23, 2018 to 1 p.m. on June 24, 2018, with sponsorships to support the Tempe-based Foster Hope Foundation.  Now, the comic is available for purchase at Drawn to Comics and Ash Avenue Comics, with more shops and online purchasing coming soon!

What if Phoenix was suddenly in the grip of a never-ending caffeine rush?  Would all of that energy make the world a better place . . . or send us all to our doom?  The Arizonauts discover the answer . . . and it will SHOCK you!  

This Friday, August 3, I'll be selling copies of this and all issues of Amazing Arizona Comics at  the Wasted Ink Zine Distro (2222 N. 16th St.) for Phoenix's monthly First Friday.  If you're in the Valley, come by to pick up your issue and to get a free superhero sketch from yours truly!

Stay tuned for more news about this and future issues of Amazing Arizona Comics!

Amazing Arizona Comics #2 Trailer

Amazing Arizona Comics Month continues!  Phoenix Comic Fest is next week, and I'll soon share my itinerary for the weekend, so you know where and when to find me.

In the meantime, dig this trailer for 2010's Amazing Arizona Comics #2, featuring June Monsoon, Al Gore, and the truth behind that year's burst of the Tempe Town Lake Dam!

The Secret Origin of Wigwam, part 3

Today's post is a special two-in-one!  Because I'm posting on Mother's Day, today's Amazing Arizona Comics Monthly entry is an actual excerpt from Mother Road's travelogue!  It's also the conclusion of "The Secret Origin of Wigwam," Mother Road's sidekick on her adventures protecting Route 66.  

If you've been following the ol' blog the last few days, you read a synopsis of the time Crystal Vortex (the Sedona sorceress) accidentally brought Route 66 attractions to life. You also read a brief history of the Santa Fe Railroad, and its one-time mascot Chico. Now, in this blurb from Mother Road's diary, you'll see how the two are connected and have brought a new hero to the world -- Wigwam!

Wigwam's first memory is crawling out of the desert sand, like he was birthed from the earth herself. The way he describes his surroundings at the time, I think he was in Winslow.  Makes sense, since the Santa Fe ran through there. 

I don't know if Wigwam knows, but he's clearly "Chico," from those old Santa Fe ads, brought to life.  I talked to Speed Cameron.  Crystal did something a few months ago, some magic that brought the Jack Rabbit and the other oddities on The Route to life.  Good thing he stopped the giants before they smashed Flagstaff.  I couldn't join the party -- that was the day the Gila Mobsters tried to turn a mountain in Oatman into a hot sauce volcano. 

Anyway, some piece of Santa Fe Railroad memorabilia must've been touching The Route when Crystal cast her spell. Crystal's reverse-spell targeted the attacking attractions, so Wigwam might've been spared.  The way he tells it, Wigwam wandered the desert for days, unaware of whom or what he was.  When he stumbled into Holbrook, he saw the Wigwam Motel and fell asleep under its sign.  That's where I found him. 

I never thought about taking on a partner out here on the road.  Actually, I HAVE thought about it, and I hated the idea.  Dead weight, that's what I figured. Mankind is the biggest reason The Route has gone to seed these past 50 years.  I've realized Wigwam may be a boy, but he'll never grow to be a man.  He's just some marketing scheme brought to life, and he may outlive us all.   

That makes him everything I hope The Route can and will be.  Nothing makes more sense than me protecting him, and him protecting me.

There you have it, folks!   Here's a panel from Mother Road and Wigwam's recent adventure, from Amazing Arizona Comics #33.  Happy Mothers' Day! 

The Secret Origin of Wigwam, part 2

Continuing the never-before-told origin of Mother Road's sidekick, Wigwam!

The Santa Fe Railroad is one of America's most traveled and storied cross-country expressways.  I dare say it was the "Route 66" of railroads, with service from Chicago to Los Angeles, to boot.  Of course, such a journey would bring passengers right through Arizona, and notable stops included Winslow and the Grand Canyon.

One of the tickets (heh) to the Santa Fe Railroad's success was its marketing.  In the early '60s, many of their print ads included a young Native America boy, named Chico. According to this article on the website Bid On Travel:

While Chico’s name emphasized the Hispanic heritage of much of Santa Fe’s operating territory, his clothes and feather evoked images of the Navajo and other lands of native peoples its trains passed through. 

Amtrak’s Southwest Chief still travels through a portion of the Navajo Nation on former Santa Fe tracks. 

I will let others decide if Chico would be politically correct today, but he has to be one of the most effective corporate symbols ever created. He set the tone.

Considering the debate over images like the Washington Redskins' mascot, Chico probably wouldn't survive much past a marketing pitch meeting today.  In fact, if his likeness didn't still exist in those vintage advertisements, and if a certain spell didn't bring Route 66 icons to life just a few years ago, some might say he'd be lost to the annals of Americana forever.  Yet, a glance at the graffiti that adorns Route 66's landmarks to this day might lead one to believe that a Native American boy haunts the highway, maybe even bringing those very vandals to justice.

To be concluded!

Thank You, Free Comic Book Day!

If you're visiting the ol' blog because you picked up a free issue of Amazing Arizona Comics yesterday, thank you for stopping by!  If you're a regular fan that's been visiting daily in May for Amazing Arizona Comics Month, welcome back!  I've had a great first week updating you with sketches, motion comics, and character insights -- and we're just getting started.

I wanted to use today's post to say thank you to all of the comic shops that carry and support Amazing Arizona Comics.  Specifically, I'd like to thank Drawn to Comics for hosting a great event yesterday.  Dozens of artists were set up in the Velma Teague Branch of the Glendale Library, and I was happy for the reminder that comics are a powerful reading tool for kids.  You don't have "comic book" without book, and, as we fans are often swept away by beautiful art and unique character designs, the words are an often overlooked part of the equation.  My favorite comic books are stories that I'll remember the rest of my life, and I can quote those issues just as folks can quote any other kind of literature that impacts them.  The symbiotic relationship between text and pictures is what makes the comic book such an important and unique medium.

Anyway, back to the yesterday's event, I set up an Amazing Arizona Comics pop-up shop, and folks enjoyed perusing back issues to complete their collection.  I especially enjoyed sketching for fans in a more lounge-y way, so don't be surprised if I lug a recliner to Phoenix Comic Fest at the end of the month!

I'd also like to thank Ash Avenue Comics in Tempe.  Their independent comics rack is the best in the state, and if you're looking for small press, self-published or alternative comix, Ash Avenue is the place to be.

Side note: My girlfriend and I concluded Free Comic Book Day at Castaway's, one of our favorite karaoke bars in Phoenix.  A birthday party insisted on singing Alice in Chains songs most of the night, so while someone sang the hit "Rooster," I drew a rooster man for him.  I guess I couldn't stop sketching, but it was kind of fun to keep the "free comics" thing going just a little while longer!

Come back tomorrow for more background info about Amazing Arizona Comics, as I post more behind-the-scenes stuff all month long!  I appreciate your reading, in print -- and online!

The Saga of Parallel Earth-1070!

Amazing Arizona Comics Month continues!  

Superhero comics are known for their multi-part story arcs. Such is the power of the phrase, "To be continued!"  The first multi-issue adventure for the Arizonauts began in Amazing Arizona Comics #7, when an evil doppelganger of then-Governor Jan Brewer banished June Monsoon to Parallel Earth-1070.  There, Arizona State Bill 1070 had become the sovereign law of the entire world, ruled by its version of Sheriff Arpaio, dubbed "Darkpaio."  (Yes, the similarities to DC Comics' Darkseid are palpable.)

"What is this...
sheriff?"

"The Saga of Parallel Earth-1070" ended in Amazing Arizona Comics #9, the series' first 24-page issue.  Spoiler alert: June makes it home, but not without complications that pit her against one of her closest allies: Speed Cameron!  You'll have to read it to believe it!

The satirical edge of Parallel Earth-1070 was a fun concept to explore in those three issues, certainly worthy of adventures all its own, but -- what would be the best format for such a story?  Why not an Adult Swim series?  Let your imagination run wild with this pseudo-promo for this Amazing Arizona Comics would-be spin-off!

The Secret Origin of Speed Cameron!

Amazing Arizona Comics Month is already sweeping the Internet!  My thanks to the The Two Gay Geeks Webcast for featuring me in last weekend's Spotlight Sunday post.  Keith and Ben have become great friends these past few years, and I'm always thrilled to see them at local geek-oriented events.  Their love of all things pop culture, from cinema to local comics, is inspiring. Listen to their podcast and read their reviews. These guys will entertain you with what entertains them!

And now, as promised by the title of this post. . .

The Secret Origin of Speed Cameron!

The second "final" sketch
of Speed Cameron."

If you're an avid reader of Amazing Arizona Comics, you know that Speed Cameron was once reckless teenager Cameron Wheeler, and that he was struck by a monsoon lightning bolt and flashed by a traffic camera simultaneously to become the tech-headed speedster we know today.  If you've heard any of my many interviews about creating these minicomics, you know I deduced his existence by getting flashed three times by traffic cameras on the I-17 one night shortly after moving back to Arizona in 2010.  (For the record, I was going about 65 mph, where the speed limit is 55 mph.  Needless to say, I was more accustomed to Southern California freeways at the time.)

After the traumatic experience wrought by that trinity of bright flashes, I tried to draw what I thought Speed Cameron must look like.  Before I realized his true form, with the camera as a part of his head, I sketched a young man with a camera merely strapped to his head.  These sketches have appeared in Amazing Arizona Comics: Declassified #1, but here's a snippet from that section of my sketchbook.  Interestingly, I was also musing about what some other local super-powered folks might be called.  You can see (now former) Sheriff Joe Arpaio's Tent City was an inspiration, but I was pretty close to landing upon Cameron's friend, June Monsoon.  We'll save her for another post.

I've thought a lot about what inspired Speed Cameron's final look, considering how many variations I drew of "kid with camera on his head."  As I've thought about the stuff I studied as a young superhero fan, I've remembered something I liked very much -- though not in comics or cartoons.  I'm talking about Bryan Adams.

I really liked Bryan Adams in the '90s, especially his Waking Up the Neighbours album.  One of its hits was the ballad "Do I Have To Say The Words?" and in that video, a chauffeured Adams spots a girl on a crowded street. Strangely, he fantasizes about fantasizing about her.  That is, on another plane of existence, the car becomes an elaborate VR rig, with goggles and a car window shaped view screen.  As a 13-year-old, I really liked this video, and considering its rampant vehicular and elaborate headwear themes, I have no doubt "Do I Have To Say The Words?" bubbled from my subconscious 17 years later to help create my impression of Speed Cameron.

What better way to conclude this unique insight than by sharing the video itself.  As you watch, catch the first line of the song: "Rescue me . . ."  Perhaps, as I was "speeding" down the I-17 that fateful night in 2010, Speed Cameron was one of those flashes, wordlessly rescuing me.

Amazing Arizona Comics Month Begins Tomorrow!

Hello, Amazing Arizona Comics fan!  I know 2018 has been a quiet year here on the Amazing Arizona Comics blog, but that's about to change!  I'm officially declaring that May is Amazing Arizona Comics Month!  

Why May, you ask?  Well, May boasts two important events for Amazing Arizona Comics.  May starts with Free Comic Book Day, on its first Saturday.  Every year I send free issues of Amazing Arizona Comics all across the state, from Flagstaff to Bisbee and everywhere in between, and, this year, I'll be at Drawn to Comics selling and giving away minicomics.  Then, May ends with Phoenix Comic Fest, a four day celebration of comics culture in Arizona.  I'm always happy to meet old and new fans alike at my table in artists' alley, and this year will be no exception.

So, throughout the month of May, I'll be posting back issue spotlights, future issue previews, character bios, and much more.  That's right -- the fun starts right here, tomorrow!  Amazing Arizona Comics started back in 2010, and it isn't slowing down, especially since we're so close to issue #50!  Thank you for coming along for the ride, past, present, and future.  This minicomic really is a statewide story, and I couldn't tell it without you.

In the meantime, if you really enjoy daily updates, I do my best to keep things interesting on Instagram @amazingazcomics.  Follow me there for posts all year long!

Last Sunday: Phoenix Zine Fest!

As my last post plugged, so this post pontificates!  Thank you, Wasted Ink Zine Distro, for organizing an amazing sophomore Phoenix Zine Fest!

A happy customer with the latest issue of Amazing Arizona Comics,
and the Klute's poetry collection with a cover by yours truly.

This year's PZF was at the Unexpected Art Gallery, a venue that has taken the Valley by storm with its diverse programming and potential.  I must say, parking, checking in, and setting up my table were all very smooth and easy, and I'm grateful to the volunteer team that made the day very exhibitor-friendly.  Comic con organizers often forget that exhibitors are their first paying customers, with their marketing emphasis on attendees, and I'm glad PZF remembered our value and prioritized our desire to do business.  And, boy, business was had!

Amazing Arizona Comics was on full display, alongside the my poetry chapbooks and fanzines, and folks were interested everything!  That's what's great about "zines" -- the distinction can include anything self-published, including minicomics.  The crowd was equally assorted, and I was happy to see some young faces interested in alt press and self-publishing.

The young man between his parents is an up and coming self publisher.
The kid on the end was stoked for his Spider-man sketch.

Even the DJ was awesome, and when it comes to music at a show, I'm a cranky old man.  This guy offered a great mix of oldies and hip hop that breached and reached all tastes -- including a few requesting Monkees tunes for yours truly.  These are my people!

This guy's name is Russ and he draws political comics.  Yes, the other guy!

And the exhibitions aren't over, people!  This weekend, Amazing Arizona Comics will be set up alongside Forever Etched Mirrors and Glass at AZ Cosfest in downtown Phoenix.  Just find the details on Facebook, then find us offering etches and sketches to anyone interested.  Thank you for your support, all!

This Sunday: PHX Zine Fest!

This Sunday, I'll be at this year's PHX Zine Fest, an event that celebrates self-publishers here in Arizona and throughout the Southwest. I've attended the LA Zine Fest, and exhibited at the Alternative Press Expo in San Francisco and SPX in Maryland, so I'm excited to have a show of this scope and focus right here in the Valley! If you're in or around Phoenix, please come support some of the best alternative press you'll ever find, including my own Amazing Arizona Comics, Karaoke Comics, my fanzines Far & Wee and My Talk Show Life, and more!

If you can't make it to PHX Zine Fest, you can find Amazing Arizona Comics at AZ Cosfest, Phoenix Comicon's FanFest, and Drawn to Comics' Brightest Saturday, all coming soon!  Come back here for details!

Thank You, YumaCon!

The past few weeks have been busy here at Amazing Arizona Comics!  This year's fall tour has officially begun, with a soft launch at Tommy Cannon's Motion Comics Bonanza last month, and continuing this past weekend at YumaCon 2017!

Yuma may be en route to San Diego, home of the most famous comic con around, but its small show boasts the heart and spirit of all great comic book shows, with an emphasis on manga and anime.  Fans enjoyed perusing Amazing Arizona Comics and scoring a free sketch, as you can see from these handsome smiles!

My thanks to everyone that swung by the table, which I was happy to share with Forever Etched Mirrors and Glass.  See you next year!

But, wait!  There's more!  The first episode of Kirby For A Day is live on YouTube! Have you watched it yet?  Find it on the KazBro Productions channel, or come back here on Wednesday for a new post with some exclusive commentary.  Behold, four Arizona artists honoring Jack Kirby's 100th birthday by attempting the 24 Hour Comic Challenge!

Thank You, Phoenix Comicon 2017!

If you're visiting Amazing Arizona Comics because you picked up an issue or a sketch from my Artists Alley table at Phoenix Comicon, welcome to my little corner of the Internet!  Phoenix Comicon was a historical show this year, for many reasons, but I'd like to focus on the positive and share my top 10 favorite moments from the weekend.  Come back over the next few days to see the list in its entirety!  Firstly . . .

10. High Concept Sci-Fi Horror Mash-up! by the Klute

My friend the Klute -- national award-winning slam poet -- asked me to illustrate the cover of his latest nerd-centric poetry collection, and I couldn't be more honored.  Dig poems that feature Aquaman, Frankenstein's monster, Cthulhu, and more in this sweet softcover edition.  Copies are still available via therealklute@gmail.com on Paypal!

Free Comic Book Day Strikes Again!

Another Free Comic Book Day has come and gone, and if you're visiting Amazing Arizona Comics through one of the free comics you found in Phoenix, Tempe, Mesa, Glendale, Tucson, Flagstaff, or Yuma, thank you for stopping by!  I've been self-publishing my little superhero satire of Arizona culture since 2010.  I try to update this site as often as I can, with upcoming issues and events, so please bookmark it if you're interested in supporting my stuff.

If you didn't pick up this year's story, here it is, in full color!  Behold, a vacationing Santa Claus and Speed Cameron, alongside a confused Dwight Guilt, versus Power Sergio!

 

 

As a bonus, here's the latest The Hasty Decisions of Li'l Speedy Cameron, my infrequent webcomic strip about, well, the title says it all.

My thanks to everyone that came to Drawn to Comics' Free Comic Book Day celebration, and of course to shop owners Ken and Sue for being the best hosts a local artist can ask for.  

My next stop with Amazing Arizona Comics is Phoenix Comicon, though I'm entertaining at a few other events before then, so check my calendar there to the right, and come say hi!

March Sale!

March is a month full of holidays, if you look close enough at the calendar!  The 14th is Pi Day, the 15th is the Ides of March, and of course the 17th is St. Patrick's Day. Last year, Santa Claus and the Arizonauts experienced the best and worst of these tumultuous times, as St. Nick tried to reconnect with his humanity by driving a cab in the Valley, only to have some leprechauns flee their fare on Mill Avenue.  It probably happens more often than you'd think!  Fortunately, the mishap gave Santa a chance to use his new utility belt . . . 

Meanwhile, the Arizonauts were battling the alien 3.1Force in Black Canyon City, home of the world's best pie! 

Here's your opportunity to snag this adventure, featured in Amazing Arizona Comics #21, along with issues #19 and #20, for only $3.14! That's right -- this three pack is usually $5, but for a limited time, it's only $3.14 in honor of all of March's special days.  Postage included! Featuring covers by Brent Otey, the Janimal, and J.P. Manzanares!

Just click the Paypal button below, and please include your mailing address!  Issues will be mailed shortly after purchase.

Friend of Amazing Arizona Comics: Birdie Birdashaw!

Wow, I've really done a terrible job maintaining this blog.  Thankfully, that's because I've been drawing the comic!  The first act of Santa's yearlong adventure with the Arizonauts concluded in Amazing Arizona Comics #22, but we still have two acts to go, jumping headfirst into the sweltering summertime!  Issues are available in the "Buy The Comics" tab above.

To encourage my interest in updating you online, I've decided to share some "Friends of Amazing Arizona Comics" -- the artist friends whose work I admire and that inspire me to keep putting pen to paper.

The first is Birdie Birdashaw, Phoneix-based webcomic cartoonist and haiku master.  Recently, for an episode of my live, local late night talk show Phoenix Tonight, Birdie contributed an illustration for our kooky comic con cosplay comedy bit. So, with only the name to compel him, Birdie visualized the guy dressed as his favorite demonic do-gooder that was unprepared for the Arizona heat -- it's Hot As Hellboy!

Speaking of comic con, at this year's Phoenix Comicon, I beheld Birdie's brilliance as a haiku writer.  He asked me to join him for a panel about the poetry of comics, and I was honored to oblige.  Toward the end of our discussion, Birdie accepted topics from the audience to draft impromptu haiku -- kind of like a "Who's 5-7-5 lines is it?"

Someone shouted, "Write about the first time you wrote a poem!"  In two minutes, maybe, Birdie wrote and read this:

she made me angry

I listened to such sad songs

my first broken heart

-- Birdie Birdashaw

It was moment of spontaneity, wit, and vulnerability I won't soon forget.  One of our panel attendees sketched us during our chat, and I've cropped her pictures to recreate how Birdie and I sat on stage.

So, maybe you weren't there in real life, but now you can virtually experience our panel, gazing at that sketch and marveling at Birdie's ability!

Check out Birdie's webcomic at Bunny Vomit.  It's an anthropomorphic autobiography that keeps the comic strip format fresh and funny.  If you drop him a line, tell him Amazing Arizona Comics sent you!