Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Comics, entertainment

Someone Give The Abyss A Mic: Vertoscope Anthology Gets to Know Villains

Published Sun, 06 Dec 2015 13:00:38 -0600

Ten Van Winkle writes,

Christmas 2014, Nechama Frier dropped by my house without warning, five hours away from her Baltimore home. She wanted to publish an anthology, and she wanted me to curate it with her. We hashed out themes, from the silly (flower crowns, just–flower crowns) to the snotty (TK), and finally agreed on a simple concept: antagonists as protagonists. Let's create a comics anthology about the bad guys.

That anthology Vertoscope is currently in the last week of its Kickstarter campaign.

I've been to horror movie festivals, concerts, conventions, the works. I've seen plenty of grotsky-looking, dirty-talking artists who focus on the dark side of stories. When we decided on our theme, I knew my time had arrived. I, Ten Van Winkle of Backwoods, NY, college grad, dutiful kid, Bible school graduate and bubbly comic shop clerk–I was finally going to get my hardass cred. What says "metal" like being the organizing force behind a collection of comic books (rad) about monsters (punk rock) and villains (metal as metal)? We drafted a call for entries, gathered about 150 story pitches, and set about collecting our team of misunderstood, world-weary mofos.

What we ended up with was sixteen sick stories from twenty-two of the sweetest, kindest, and cleverest creators I've ever met.

Ashley McCammon, for example, was generous with her thumbnails and progress pictures online. She kept up consistent, chipper communication with us and made things as smooth as possible–not to mention her working building excitement for the Vertoscope campaign on her social media accounts. While her person was sugary and clean, McCammon's comic "The Devil's Pupil" came out under-your-nails grimy and brimming with visceral details. She took the pretty out of vampires with her Dracula story, leaving the bare, nasty teeth.

After they signed their contract with us, Mady G. faced a cross-country move that threw off their comic schedule something fierce. At first we were concerned that we'd have to let them slip away. But Mady's flexibility and frankness allowed us to work out a brand new schedule to make sure her amazing work made it into Vertoscope , and their comic "The Devil's Dentist" brings a surreal, cartoony flavor to the anthology. This campfire tale brings the sense of ghost stories shared between kids, and the scary images of a ghost movie shared between adults!

Even our cover artists Lynn Nguyen was a joy to work with. We prepared a list of cover artists to vet for work, prepared to be rejected at every turn. Nguyen was at the very top of the list, and she agreed immediately–despite her busy illustrating and modeling schedule. So much we trusted her from our easy, warm interactions, that we simply prompted her to create an image she thought fit the anthology. This kind woman came back to us with obscure, haunting end-of-the-world imagery, a gut-tugging figure and shocking high contrast–a piece that perfectly captured the beauty and beastliness of our story collection.

With a nest of creators like these girls, preparing Vertoscope for publication became less like creating a whole new world for myself, and more like coming back to a place I'd always been comfortable. Without explicit solicitation for LGBTQIA*- and feminist-friendly, we found a klatch of artists and writers strong in queer and feminist communities, and eager to take advantage of independent publishing in order to tell comics their own way. Best of all, they were all ready to talk about monsters.

These creators didn't have to posture at being especially in touch with their dark side. For Vertoscope , it hasn't been about showing just how cool or sick or twisted we can be; it's been about creating a space where we could all be comfortable with the daily darkness we have to live with. Our creators are able to tell these stories deftly because they've faced the sinister and lived to tell the tale–maybe over tea and some cookies if you're hungry!

The feeling isn't metal, but it's so much better–it's coming home.

After building this home for the last year, we are finally a breath away from the possibility of Vertoscope being real–in our hands, in our literal homes, reminding us all that we aren't the only ones looking for something more. But more than the huge collection of talent in the book, we're stoked out of our minds to bring this book of sinister solidarity to every reader who is tired of Johnny Twoshoes and his neatly resolved storyline, every reader who needs something a little more complex or a little more chilling to identify with.

Anyone interested in this anthology can get a copy pledging to our Vertoscope Kickstarter. While Ashley McCammon, Mady G., and Lynn Nguyen show an amazing set of work, check out the page to see all the rest of the amazing artists involved–and check out the official blog for more art samples and updates! Vertoscope is waiting for you–get a book to have with your coffee, a story to drink in with your tea, a collection to make you cringe and cackle in the comfort of a new, wild home.

For any questions, contact Ten Van Winkle (vanwinkle@lannyhuang.com) and Nechama Frier (nechamafrier@gmail.com).

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