Inbound #2

From the Random Stack of Unread Comics.

Title: Inbound
Issue: 2
Date: 2008
Publisher: Boston Comics Roundtable
Writer: Matthew Reidsma, Jason W. Salzarulo, Charles Schneeflock Snow, Kevin Kilgore, Rachel Maguire, Ron LeBrasseur, Jay Kennedy, Cathy Leamy, Justin Clibun
Artist: Matthew Reidsma, Shelli Paroline, Eric Haines, Kevin Kilgore, Rachel Maguire, Ron LeBrasseur, Jay Kennedy, Cathy Leamy
Editor: Dave Kender, Dan Mazur, Ron LeBrasseur, Shelli Paroline
Cover: Braden Lamb

Anthology from the Boston Comic Roundtable. Very nice collection with a good variety of stories, including a comic adaptation of Justin Clibun's true account of US soldiers in Iraq. There is a humorous science fiction story by Charles Schneeflock Snow and Eric Haines, as well as a silly tale of mad science called Too Many Robots by Ron LeBrasseur. Jay Kennedy and Matthew Reidsma each provide a different and unique examination of the superhero genre. There is also a very creepy dark fairy tale by Jason W. Salzarulo and Shelli Paroline, and one of Cathy Leamy's wonderfully quirky slice-of-life story, this one dealing with her sister living an alter-ego life. A wordless and surreal tale by Rachel Maguire rounds things out, along with a humorous fictional history of comics creators in Boston.

All of this was good, and I enjoyed the variety of styles represented here.

Rating: 8/10

Geraniums and Bacon #5

From the random stack of unread comics.

Title: Geraniums & Bacon
Issue: 5
Date: 2008
Publisher: Bella Razor Press
Writer: Cathy Leamy
Artist: Cathy Leamy

I love a good geeky autobiographical comic, and Cathy Leamy always delivers great stuff in hers (see here for my review of #6 in this series).

This issue opens with wedding dress shopping, well, observing it for fun, anyway, and it closes with bra shopping. In between, we get a suit of "War of the Roses Mecha", a rotted, deflated pumpkin named Senor Calabaza, freelancing, and the local gang of bike-modders. The opening bit is hilarious and awesome as the artist attends the annual Filene's Basement bridal gown sale AKA the "Running of the Brides". She's not planning on getting married; she just wants to be part of the chaos.

The roommate story of the rotten pumpkin is sentimental and fun, and the tale of the suit of armor is wonderfully surreal.

Cathy Leamy picks out great details to bring her stories to life, and they are always amusing. Also, that Charlies Angels tribute cover is awesome!

Rating: 8/10

Greenblooded: An Introduction To Eco-Friendly Feminine Hygiene

Something tells me I am not the target audience.

Okay, and with that, I am now done with all joking around about the fact that I am a guy and I am reading and reviewing this book. If you are disappointed with that, then probably there is some getting over of yourself that needs to happen.

Title: Green Blooded: An Introduction To Eco-Friendly Feminine Hygiene
Publisher: Bella Razor Press
Date: 2009
Writer: Cathy Leamy
Artist: Cath Leamy

Cathy Leamy takes on the ecology of feminine hygiene products, a manufactured and disposable item used by half of the population for decades of their lives.Most guides to living a greener or more sustainable life barely touch this topic. Fortunately, this comic his here to help.

Includes a convenient illustrate review of the biology of the menstrual cycle, which was basic, but helpful to me. This is followed by a discussion of the environmental issues surrounding the common products currently in use (in the US, at least), followed by an exploration of the alternatives. She finishes up with a discussion of what the options are for minimizing environmental impact when still using disposable products.

 As always with her books, Cathy Leamy has a wonderful positive tone to her writing. I also loved the variety of women that were used in the illustrations. There were some great touches of humor here, and the information was delivered in a concise and easy-to-understand form. The book was a bit text-heavy and a lot of the illustrations were small, but this was mostly a function of the amount of information to be covered.

Rating: 7.5/10

Geraniums & Bacon #6

I ran into Cathy Leamy at the Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo and was excited to find she has a new issue out in her minicomic series.

Title: Geraniums & Bacon
Issue: 6
Date: 2012
Publisher: Metrokitty
Writer: Cathy Leamy
Artist: Cathy Leamy

This is the sixth installment in Cathy Leamy's autobiographical minicomic series. Cathy always brings a great eclectic mix of stories from her travels and experiences that range from the mundane to the exotic to the just plain geeky.

This issue is no exception, opening in a mountain hostel in Switzerland (with the heroine needing get up to go pee in the middle of the night) and covering a very realistic psychic reading in Chicago, and the author's college experiences in competitive ballroom dance.

A couple of amusing short pieces round out the book, along with a story set in 1978 and featuring bacon, drugs, lycanthropy, and a bad hangover.

Cathy Leamy is always insightful, witty, and great for picking out the fun and quirky details of her life that make the best stories.

Rating: 8.5/10

What's the Word?

Title: What's the Word? True Tales of a Woman on the Go
Date: 2011
Publisher: Metrokitty
Writer: Cathy Leamy
Artist: Cathy Leamy

Cathy Leamy tries a new approach to her autobiographical comics with this collection from her webcomic (with a few extras for the printed minicomic). Each one-page or two-page entry is based on a single-word theme. The autobiographical aspect is great, largely because Leamy seeks out some really cool experiences. In this minicomic, she attends an acoustic performance by Harry and the Potters. Other destinations include Coney Island's Mermaid Parade, disco aerobics in Cambridge MA, and a pantomime play in England.

All of this is delivered with Leamy's excellent wit and good sense of pacing. Fun book.

Rating: 7.5/10