TALKING SMALL PRESS COMICS #81: STEVE & LARNED'S LABOR-OF-LOVE GEMS

Talking Small Press Comics #81 is another tasty one, so full of so many enjoyable tidbits, as hosted by the always avid Steve Keeter and Larned Justin.  

Shot before Christmas, #81 delves into a slew of end-of-the-year treats, which were concocted to uplift the next. 

First up is Larry Johnson's Tales of the Broken B #6 (see Bizarrechats, December 2024 post), which makes excellent use of its ghostly, gypsy ingredients. This is followed by Keith Newsome's most inventive (and most personal) submission to Tom Fellrath's strange times six called "Renaissance Man." Then there's Jason DeGroot's heroic, good-cause Shelter Dog! (with endearing contributions by Larned Justin, Teri S. Wood and John Muller); Micah Liesenfeld's satirical and flavorful (patrons' only) Mustard Comix; Dale Martin/Mid-South Cartoonists' hilarious and offbeat The Good, the Bad & the Sketchy #10 & #11; Steve Keeter's clever, "jam"-led curation, Slithers of Light; plus Clark Dissmeyer's cute-as-a-button (er, rather fungus) Mushy's Twelve Days of Christmas!

Enjoy all the stimulating, small-press details at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taTNX22LJLU&t=648s

TALKING SMALL PRESS COMICS #80, WITH KEETER & JUSTIN

Steve Keeter and Larned Justin give a rundown of three new comics/periodicals in Talking Small Press Comics #80.

For this installment, the guys promote Joe Ely Carrales III's latest submission of The Improbable Girl and the Wonder Kitty; Ken Leach's Christian-comic overview, Alpha 'Toons; and Main Enterprises' Tales of Greek Mythology #1, delving into each submission to celebrate its contents. 

Tap in for all the artistic updates at 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M5bcaMedKos

TALKING SMALL PRESS COMICS #78 & #79 WITH LARNED & STEVE

 

There's more worthy chatter from Steve Keeter &  Larned Justin with another set of installments for Talking Small Press Comics #78 & #79.

For #78, the gents welcome special guest Dale Martin, legendary creator of Watusi the Talking Dog. Martin details his vast, small-press career, as he covers such significant, team-up creations as The Good, the Bad & the Sketchy. 

For #79, Steve and Larned delve into the sprightly powerhouse (Fantastic) Yeet! Comics #62; Micha Lisenfeld's impassioned, true-life A-T Walker; and more of Steve Willis' zany Cranium Frenzy. 

Watch #78 at  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgZzKbKIo9M&t=3276s

and #79 at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vTyg_79U0mI

TALKING SMALL PRESS COMICS #76 & #77 WITH STEVE & LARNED

Steve Keeter and Larned Justin kick it into high gear with back-to-back, Talking Small Press Comics episodes. 

For #76, the fellows discuss Dale Martin's hilarious Watusi the Talking Dog (now on its forty-fourth issue), as well as the science-fiction based, The Good, the Bad & the Sketchy (to which Martin contributed); Joe Ely Carralas' superheroic The Improbable Girl and the Wonder Kitty; The House of Harley's Monty Python-ish Ugly Mug; and last but not least, Steve Willis' mind-pounding Cranium Frenzy. 

For Episode #76, the guys tap into Chuck Bunker's pugnacious Pieman vs Bridezilla and his mirthful Muffin Man; Rick Bradford's tongue-in-cheek Wag Rag; a space-sheriff-sprung Yeet Presents curation (with artwork by Steve Shipley); and Ken Leach's Tales from the Morgue, which pays special tribute to King Kong.  

For Episode #76, visit 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnfFyz4aHBo

and for #77 ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNDfuFPdHbQ

TALKING SMALL PRESS COMICS #74 & #75

Small Press Comics Episodes #74 & #75 are geared up for viewing, with Larned Justin and Steve Keeter hosting the former, and Justin & Jason DeGroot covering the latter.

For #74, Larned & Steve chat about what led them to enter the small-press sector, based on the Silver Age exploits of DC, Marvel and Warren, and the myopic, company politics that may have daunted them, if not for their indomitable, creative spirits. Dav Pilkey's Cat Club Comic Book Influences and Mark Andrew Smith/James Stokoe's Sullivan's Sluggers are placed under the favorable spotlight later in the installment.

For #75, Larned and Jason reveal the latter's exciting, new project, Shelter Dog, which manifested through the assisting talents of Larned, Teri S. Wood and John Muller. In relation to the Shelter Dog, Jason speaks of those special ways that animals uplift and soothe our souls. (Copies and proceeds of Shelter Dog will be donated to various shelters throughout the country.) 

Listen/watch #74 at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJZ3P0xwjNo&t=91s

and

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ypro0R9cUw&t=29s

Listen/watch #75 at 

STEVE KEETER & LARNED JUSTIN: A SMALL-PRESS COMICS HISTORY

The Talking Small Press Comics hosts, Steve Keeter and Larned Justin, have just dropped an informative discussion on YouTube: A Mini Comics Oral History Archive, which caters to homegrown, comic publications from the 1970s, 80s & 90s.

Steve tells how he was inspired to share his artwork, beginning with the fanzine, The World of Edgar Rice Burroughs, and then the acclaimed, Om series, and Larned tells how he was surprised there was even an indie-comics platform, but was enlightened enough to test the waters with his Mad Magazine-slanted Candid Cartoons under the clever alias, Will Davis (a combo of legends, Will Elder and Jack Davis).

The guys then go down the historic line, detailing the labor-of-love, "ditto" method, followed by the later, polished, Kinko's trend. Tim Corrigan's huge influence on the medium, through Small Press Creative Explosion, is mentioned, as well as the ever reliable UFO Newsletter, along with such noted names in the field as Steve Shipley, Chuck Robinson, Kel Crum, Larry Blake, Byron Black, John Miller, Steve Willis, Steve Keats, Jeff Gaynor, Alan James Hanley and Winston Leroy Jackson. The conventions that helped perpetuate their passionate endeavors are acknowledged, as well. 

I really learned a lot from this installment and appreciate Steve and Larned's invaluable insights and recollections. So will you.

Tap in at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrOc0GKQe0I&t=187s