Friday, July 24, 2009

The OTHER Digital Comics

Today I'd like to shine the light on another form of DIGITAL COMIC BOOKS: Podcasts! As a comic book fan, you may or may not be a fan of podcasts, but I'm sure you are a fan of well told tales of comic book drama and adventure. You'll find all that in more as you read on...

While I'm not going to go in depth on what a podcast is (there's wikipedia for that) I will say that a podcast is usually an audio or video file that can be experienced with a portable device such as an iPod, as a hosted file built into a player on a web site, or downloaded and played on your computer.

There are podcasts about nearly everything including comic books: the industry, reviews, and best of all graphic verbal story telling...

Batman PodcastBATMAN: The Ace of Detectives

"Batman: The Ace of Detectives" is an ongoing monthly serial adventure based on the modern incarnation of the character in DC Comics.

Here's the thing...Jeffrey has been asking me for going on two years now to write a new intro for this page. Sertan,the gentleman who wrote and directed the show previously, passed those duties on to me a while ago. But every time I sit down to write something, I run into a brick wall. I mean, what do you say?

He's Batman. The Caped Crusader. A guy who saw his folks gunned down right before his eyes. A guy who can't stand the thought of it happening to anybody else. One of the richest men on Earth, who has sacrificed his happiness to a city. A man almost no one really understands.

When we first meet him in this series, he's damaged goods. A particularly nasty villain has put him through threw the ringer and he's forgotten how to trust. He's cut off from everyone except his surrogate father and his adopted son. Even the woman he loves is on the outside, looking in. He loses so much. And it just gets worse, to the point that he breaks. And then...

Pete Milan

Writer & Director, "Batman: The Ace of Detectives"

What about it makes it "Comic Book" like?

Pendant Productions never lets their "licensed" podcasts (they have original stuff too) stray too far from an actual comic book. Each has its own page where listeners can download wallpapers, cover art, and more for each.

Did I mention that beyond Batman Pendant also produces a Superman, Wonder Woman, Catwoman, Supergirl, StarWars, and Indiana Jones podcasts?

BONUS:

In the Pendant productions Batman Universe Bruce Wayne is still Batman and Dick Grayson is Nightwing...

Axiom ManAxiom-Man

One night Gabriel Garrison was visited by a nameless messenger who bestowed upon him great power, a power intended for good. Once discovering what this power was and what it enabled him to do, Gabriel became Axiom-man, a symbol of hope in a city that had none.

Driven by the desire to prove himself someone of worth, Gabriel donned the cape and tights after seeing an article in the Winnipeg Free Press about a little girl who was killed while gang members raided her father's house, looking for drugs. Having always struggled with self-esteem, Gabriel figured that, by being Axiom-man, he might be able to reclaim some of the self-worth that had been lost through twenty-four years of being looked down upon by society, friends and even family. He understood that little girl, understood what it was like to not be heard, to not have the chance to speak up for herself. Perhaps as Axiom-man he'd be able to speak up for those who couldn't, able to take a stand for those overrun by the injustices of society.

What about it makes it "Comic Book" like?

A P Fuchs, the author and creator of Axiom-Man, is a dyed in the wool comic book creator at heart. Axiom-Man started as a print novel, which was podcast, along came two sequels which have now led to actual webcomics that are updated weekly at places such as WOWIO and others.

Decoder Ring PodcastDecoder Ring Theatre's: The Red Panda Adventures

Keeping 1930s Toronto safe from gangsters, racketeers and power-mad supervillains - Thrill once again to the tales of that Masked Man of Mystery; The Red Panda! All-new tales of two-fisted pulp justice!

For years now, a shadowy organization has targeted the city and its citizens. Time after time the Terrific Twosome has defeated their most diabolical efforts and time after time the Syndicate has risen from the ashes, changed its stripes and begun it's campaign of terror anew. Who would have thought that the worst thing they could possibly do was give up? Will anything be left standing after we enter....

What about it makes it "Comic Book" like?

Greg Taylor and the gang over at Decoder Ring Theatre have created a character made of the very same grit and pulp as the characters who inspired (and sometimes star in) our comic book superheroes of today such as: The Green Hornet, and The Shadow.

BONUS:

There is a Red Panda print novel that you can purchase off his web site and amazon right now...

Speaking of the shadow...

Black ShadowSteve Saylor's: The Black Shadow

In a world where evil walks the earth, where super villains are taken over by demonic beings. They all want one thing, and one thing only. To take over the world. There is only one man who can stop them. One man with the powers and abilities to kick some serious demon ass. In a race against time to stop a portal that opens to Hell itself. One man, one hero, one sonofabitch you don’t want to mess with. He is faceless, he is fearless, he is Black Shadow. From the mind of debut podiobook author Steve Saylor comes a story where the super powers meets the Supernatural.

What about it makes it "Comic Book" like?

The Black Shadow operates in a city larger than Metropolis, more crime ridden than Gotham which sits on a portal leading straight to hell, a place that the man behind the Black Shadow mask may very well have been too. This concept is tailor made for comics, and just ended up as a podcast instead.

Have a great weekend,

Caine

1 comment:

Steve Saylor said...

I apologize for not seeing this sooner, however I wanted to thank you for mentioning my Podcast Novel in this post. It definitely is an honor to be included with the other podcasts you mentioned that I listen to and love! You hit the nail on the head as Black Shadow is definitely a comic book but in podcast form. I love comic books and they had a great influence on my writing this novel.

So thank you again! I truly do appreciate it

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