The Martian Confederacy: Rednecks on a Red Planet

This book features talking bears on Mars, a sexy android and a praying mantis bartender. Not sold yet? Fortunately, there is much more to attract you to The Martian Confederacy, written by Jason McNamara and inked by Paige Braddock – published by Girl Twirl Comics.

I’ll admit, outerspace settings are one of those things I get squeamish about. Yet somehow, like musicals, I find myself attracted to them on a regular basis, despite my disinclination. At some point you have to relent and realize, if some of your favorite stories are told in space…you probably DO like space stories.

So, here it goes: Yes – I do like space stories. Damn you Firefly, Battlestar Galactia, Alien, Total Recall and Star Wars!! I don’t intend to, but it’s something that happens. I guess I can now add The Martian Confederacy to that list of things that unwittingly attract me to the cosmos.

Right – the plot is built on a Total Recall foundation, mixed with Star Wars and a dash of Firefly for good measure. Again, what’s not to love? The idea is that Mars has been colonized (can we get on that already?) and a corporation is controlling and cashing in on devices that create breathable air for the population of the entire planet. Poor folks get it the worst – and our heroes certainly fit that bill. They do live in a space trailer park after all.

A scientist has developed a moss that will bring oxygen to the planet and he is killed off within the first few pages. So it’s up to our heroes – Lou (the android), Boone (scrappy thief) and Spinner (the talking bear) to carry out his mission, while continually butting heads with a nasty space sheriff, the Alcalde, who rules the planet (he literally creates laws off the cuff), and has a two-faced mutant mistress.

I can certainly get on board with space cowboys, and I’m also comfortable with any space setting that doesn’t require the characters to hobble around in bulky suits. McNamara does a great job of fleshing out the world by establishing future lingo and setting up the rules of Martian colonization and laws. Especially got some good laughs out of the currency named after William Shatner (that’ll be five Shatners, please).

The Evil Corporation as the villain is a supremely believable scenario, and the friendly mocking/commentary on social class structure also bring depth to the story. I especially loved a statement made by Boone towards the end of the book, in which he’s able to utilize his experience in a low societal position to best the Alcalde.

Stumptown Comics Fest 2010: Day Two

– Hang over this morning caused us to get a slower start to the day. We arrived around 11:30am, and immediately hit up Matthew Southworth‘s booth to get two copies of Stumptown #1 signed. He DID remember us from last night (he asked what time we finally left). Uh-oh. I need to seriously curtail the drinking next year. We hung out for about an hour or so while he inked and colored a couple prints. Here’s a short video of the one he made of Dex.

– Next up was a Q&A Panel with Craig Thompson. It was very informal – he had a friend hosting and asking him questions. The audience members could also chime in at any point with questions of their own. I was consistently surprised and pleased with the depth, intelligence and respect that went into each question (as with the Saturday panel). Not that I don’t think Comic Book fans can be intellectuals, it’s just that I’ve never experienced such a large group of folks taking the art of comic books so seriously.

A short video in which he talks about his current project Habibi, and what led to the creation and publication of his travel journal Carnet De Voyage.

– After that – Craig Thompson was signing books. We picked up a ticket earlier, and were among the first five or so people in line to chat with him and HE DID A SKETCH. Ah! Wonderful, lovely sketch. Having the signing immediately following the Q&A was awesome, because it didn’t feel awkward at all to engage in conversation with him. Something that frustrates me about cons or interacting with celebrities/famous folks is how artificial the space can feel. This wasn’t my experience at this fest – ever. Everyone was very approachable, friendly and willing to talk about their work, themselves, and other randomness.

Craig Thompson was incredibly gracious about the picture. 🙂

The sketch - so beautiful!