Break out the tissues, y’all. Only to wipe the tears from your eyes, as this is the last pge of Chapter One. I’ll let you argue about whether or not I’m leaving you hanging, or whetting your appetite for more tales of Jim, Eve, Max, and the end of the world.
WILL Jim and Crunchy make it in time to assist their fellow cops?
WILL Eve keep her job as elementary school teacher?
WILL Jake get his revenge in the cozy confines of The Glory Hole?
WILL we see more of the Doorman’s teeth?
WILL future Eve learn the fate of her missing love, James Knox?
More comics are in the works as I type this, my little road warriors and warriettes. If you like that you’ve read so far, go like C&D over at FaceBook, and drop a line there any time! http://www.facebook.com/ChromeAndDustComic
Chrome and Dust was written as if it was a movie or television series, and it couldn’t have been conceived without some influence from those mediums. When I need a fix, or if I need to get into the mood to draw ratcars and fuel-injected violence, instead of reducing the spectacular Mad Max series to background noise, I turn to the following list…
5. Resident Evil – Afterlife
While this can be shrugged off as a Zombie-genre or sci-fi action flick, it owes it’s entire aesthetic to the Godfather of P.A. flicks: The Road Warrior. Yes, there’s the high tech bad guy lab underground, yes, there’s still almost supernatural enemies rendered in eye-popping special effects. What workes for me is the look, of course. Nice chopped up autos, some cool costume designs, and a group of people fighting for survival in a wasteland created by man. Not to mention it’s a pretty fun flick anyway.
4. The Book Of Eli
No magic, no sci-fi, no monsters. Just a man on a mission from God, and a special man at that. Marvel as Denzel dispatches crazy cannibals and toughs as he spouts scripture and kicks ass in the name of the Lord. Makes you wonder what it would have been like if there WAS a sequel to Pulp Fiction in which Jules travels the road, helping people. We are talking about Sam Jackson. Anyway, this is Denzel, and it’s a pretty fun flick.
3. Damnation Alley
From out of 1977 comes a hokey tale of survivors of nuclear holocaust who ride around in an armored transport akin to the mobile home in stripes. There’s lots of desert, and lots of fall-out: you MUST see the exciting chase where Jan Michael Vincent and his friend flee on their dirt bike from the ravenous, oversized, radioactive scorpion. A SCORPION. A-Team’s George Peppard also stars. See it on YouTube here:
2. The Road
You want a desperate struggle for survival in a post-holocaust world? There is no story more dire, or touching, than this one. I can’t recommend the book strongly enough, as every sentence by Cormac McCarthy is engineered to garner a response of gloom, dread, and woe. I also recommend chasing this movie with a comedy of your choice.
1. Escape From New York
The same year that The Road Warrior came out and blew our minds regarding what the future held after the gas ran out and all the discos closed for good, John Carpenter offered alternatives to democratic government, the penal system, and outrageous real estate prices in Manhattan. He also defined the new breed of anti-hero in one Snake Plissken: A bad-ass with a soft spot. For himself. Wise cracking and hard-fighting, Kurt Russell’s Plissken just wanted to be left alone in a totalitarian world, call things as he saw them, and never losing his temper, or his cool.
Got any more that make your list, or movies that I need to see in this fabulous genre? Comment here or email me at 9mmstudio@gmail.com
Chapter One of Chrome and Dust is done, and more is being created right now, but don’t let that keep you from reliving the entire adventure any time you want.
Keep some gas in the tank by supporting Chrome and Dust at any of these links:
Last night I got to be interviewed on the live podcast Nerd Nation, and those guys really rolled out the red carpet for me. Go check it out at the link below or on itunes, and get inside my head as I go in-depth about Chrome And Dust!
Chrome and Dust, the latest comic from Chicago-based artist Ed Siemienkowicz, begins its run on the web starting September 16. Every week a new page will appear to tell the story of two lovers who are separated for years in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, and their friend who may be the key to their reunion.
A long time ago James Knox was a by-the-book cop who got results with unorthodox methods. As keeping the peace gets tougher, he needed his improvisational skills to deal with the new breed of criminals. Eve Crenshaw was his girlfriend. A third grade teacher, she did her best to stay aloof of the increasing problems in the world – until they came knocking on her door. Max Magillacuddy was a man with military training, quick wit, and a mysterious past. He and Knox became partners, and their formidable skills brought them through confrontations with, killers, looters, and every psycho who could drive a car or ride a cycle.
From the bright, self-centered 80s to Knox and Eve’s violent, desperate future, Chrome and Dust is the story of humanity tested in the face of it’s doom, of the strength of love during dark times, and of the colorful characters that inhabit it’s drab, harsh world. It’s rom-com meets Road Warrior as the pedal hits the floor, and Chrome and Dust hits the comic world with fuel-injected fury. New pages every week, and 28-page comic available for ordering, or digital download at chromeanddust.com
It’s a busy week in the offices of 9mm Studio, as Small Press Expo is this weekend! After a absence due to financial and geographical challenges, I am really excited to be back at my favorite con.
This show has me extra excited, because i’ll be selling and debuting my new graphic novel Chrome and Dust. I won’t have a table, so I’ll be a roaming nomad. I’ll be selling these as I stroll for $6. Just ask!
To help you get your hands on it, I’ve created a flyer that will be on the free shit table:
A Side
B Side
So now you can’t miss me, or the chance to get a copy of my new book. Random Play is going strong right now, of course, and I’m having a sort of “soft launch” of Chrome and Dust. The book will be available at the show, and soon you’ll be able to get it online in physical or digital versions. I’ll let you know when all that goes down.
New friends and old, I hope to see you at the show!
