Friday, March 30, 2012

Tribute #4

Is it some sort of serious breach of comics blogger ethics to review a book that I'm involved in?  Is there even such a thing as "comics blogger ethics"?  If so, then you'd better convene that review board, because here I go with a look at Tribute #4.

Published by Main Enterprises, veteran small press publisher Jim Main, Tribute is a pin-up magazine giving independent and small press artists the chance to take a crack at their favorite mainstream characters.  Each issue has a different theme and the latest one spotlights classic cartoon characters, featuring over forty drawings of characters ranging from the obscure (Colonel Bleep???) to the iconic (Bugs Bunny, Yogi Bear, etc.).  As you would expect in a publication of this sort, with contributions from over twenty different artists, the range of talent on display varies a great deal, from fairly amateurish to scarily professional.  
An example of the latter are the contributions of Terry Pavlett (Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Tom and Jerry and the cover, featuring a plethora of classic toons).  Based on his art herein, I find myself wondering why he isn't drawing DC's Looney Tunes comic.
Another favorite of mine are the pages by Gary Fields, who brings a slightly underground feel to his depictions of Hanna-Barbera luminaries Yogi Bear, Huck Hound and Peter Potamus. (Ok, so the last one isn't exactly a "luminary", but its still a great drawing.)
Then there's my piece, shown at the top of this post, featuring characters from Schoolhouse Rock.  I was quite proud of it when I turned it in, but now, perhaps because of the high quality printing of this book or maybe just seeing it presented alongside the work of the two gentlemen cited above among others, I can suddenly see every flaw in it.  Still, I suppose its not all that bad.
At first, $4.99 might seem a bit pricey for a forty page pin up book, however it is an incredibly professional looking package, printed on slick high quality paper with full color covers.  When you think about it, for a small print run comic with this level of production values, its actually well worth the price.
You can order a copy for yourself at Jim's web-site.  While there, you can also check the rest of Jim's wide range of publications. 

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