#black and white comics

[crownedinkcomix]

Johnny the Homicidal Maniac attempts to walk a fine line between satirizing revenge fantasies and indulging in them, but this duality often leaves the book feeling muddled. Vasquez introduces us to Johnny, the titular homicidal maniac, as a socially alienated, self-pitying character whose violent outbursts are triggered by trivial slights or perceived offenses. His victims are exaggeratedly vile, unrepentant individuals, seemingly crafted to evoke a sense of dark catharsis. Yet this makes it difficult to discern if Vasquez is critiquing Johnny’s outlook or, rather, inviting us to revel in the violence he enacts. The satire is further muddied by the fact that Johnny’s perspective and violent tirades aren’t challenged or balanced by the narrative; instead, they risk validating his nihilism.

Although Johnny briefly expresses disgust at a rapist’s crime and hints at awareness of his own monstrous nature, his moments of reflection come across as self-pity rather than genuine remorse. These half-hearted attempts at self-awareness fall short, making it difficult to sympathize with him. In other stories about morally flawed or self-deluded protagonists—like Taxi Driver’s Travis Bickle or American Psycho’s Patrick Bateman—there are layers to the characters’ actions and motivations, often tied to social or psychological commentary. For instance, Bickle’s flawed quest to "save" Iris is revealed as self-serving, and Bateman’s violent fantasies serve as outlets for his existential torment. In contrast, Johnny’s killing spree feels more like a visceral but empty reaction to everyday irritations, lacking depth or nuance.

Vasquez seems at least somewhat aware of the protagonist’s lack of appeal and attempts to inject self-parody through liner notes that poke fun at Johnny's self-aggrandizing tendencies. However, the satire is undermined when even supposedly sympathetic characters, like Devi (Johnny's ex-girlfriend) or Tess (a victim Johnny encounters), display the same arrogant contempt for others that Johnny does. Lines like Devi's, “I think it’s so sad when monkeys don’t know that they are the simple ones,” reveal a similar smug superiority. Tess, who is rescued from certain death by a stereotypical “jock” character, Krik, offers nothing but disdain for him, even as he risks his life to save her. Rather than fostering complexity, these characters’ shallow hostility only reinforces the comic’s bleak view of humanity, failing to provide any contrasting perspectives or empathy that might deepen the satire.

Visually, the art style leans on exaggerated grotesque imagery reminiscent of Ren and Stimpy with a dash of H.R. Giger, but lacks the craft of either. Characters are often drawn as claw-handed semi-stick figures, and the over-the-top grotesqueness feels like a cover for weak composition and inconsistent line work. This style occasionally suits the manic tone of the book but detracts from the visual storytelling, making it hard to take the violence or characters seriously.

Despite these issues, there are moments in Johnny the Homicidal Maniac that hint at an intriguing horror premise: Johnny, as a former artist whose creativity has been drained by a supernatural force, killing in a desperate attempt to regain inspiration. This concept, if further explored, might have lent more depth to Johnny’s motivations, creating a compelling horror story about the consequences of lost artistry and self-destruction.

Additionally, Vasquez shines in the one-page newspaper-style strips, where the comic’s dark humor and over-the-top violence are distilled into short, self-contained gags. These segments play to Vasquez’s strengths in absurdist humor and quick punchlines, making it clear that Johnny’s rants are overreactions to trivialities, rather than statements on society.

Ultimately, Johnny the Homicidal Maniac struggles to reconcile its satire of revenge fantasies with its indulgence in them. The comic has moments of humor and originality, especially in its shorter gag strips, but as a whole, it lacks the coherence and character complexity necessary to deliver a satisfying satire. Vasquez may have created a more engaging experience if he had leaned fully into a twisted comic strip format, focusing on humor over inconsistent attempts at social commentary.

[ninsectoid]

Happy Halloween / Happy Samhain! In honor of the season, here's a short little comic I made for Shortbox Comics a couple years ago - an eerie romantic encounter at the threshold between worlds.

[crashcoral]

[piepie-li]

NO WAY MY MENTOR TURNED INTO A WHOLE-WHEAT BREAD

a comic i did for the two demon guys...

[phantome29]

"songstellation" - a short comic I drew that recently placed in a local contest!

While this is more or less an AU for Grace and Aster, I liked playing with the concept of these two aiming for the stars in their own ways.

[adventure-of-a-lifetime-official]

The crossover nobody asked for

Dogwitch possesses many strange artifacts in her home, including a strange pair of glasses emanating an ominous glow. Supposedly, it was possessed by some crazy salesman who had been sealed inside it for all of eternity, but Dogwitch didn’t believe it was actually true.

I made this to practice my comic making skills wowww

This is a reference to the fact that Poof was originally an AU design for Spamton, but he was redesigned to be an original character. I have a dumb little joke in my head where Poof is actually really afraid of Spamton and doesn’t want to be anywhere near him.

I don’t think Poof is really anything like Spamton anymore, but the fact that he was inspired off the character is really funny to me for some reason

So thank you Toby Fox for making this character, cause it helped to inspire one of my own!

[prookal]

all of my comics from yesterday (hourly comic day) 🏃‍♂️✨

[radonx9]

HexPulse No.#2 October 2023 Halloween Special is here!

Happy Halloween!

The second issue of my comix zine HexPulse Comix is here!

Featuring three brand new comics, including the debut of my new series "Paranormal Normal Club" and my as-of-now unnamed graphic novel, as well as a return to Rosetta, WA for this years Rosetta Falls Halloween Special! Plus bonus illustrations and introduction from yours truly!

Click "Keep Reading" below to read the complete zine!

[philipreadart-blog]

Spooktober Day 4, 5 and 6

[kekwcomics]

ESTEBAN MAROTO art from

WARREN COMICS PRESENTS #13: SWORD & SORCERY (1981)

Lettering: Jean Simek

[evilhorse]

A witch shall be born

[kozy4stuff]

Before I went on hiatus I started working on a test comic to figure out the process of making one. Think I overwhelmed myself though, so I stepped away entirely. Hoping now I can pace myself better. Probably need to do several more of these "Test" comics before I get going for real.

[aberration13]

gonna start using snippid irl tbh

[crashcoral]

If you enjoy our please consider joining our patreons!!

[markuspatterndraws]

The Kindness Of Killers #1

Art by Markus Pattern

Writer by Cy Dethan

Letters by Nic Wilkinson

Published by AAM Markosia

Buy it here https://www.drivethrucomics.com/product/488280/The-Kindness-Of-Killers-1?src=newest

A warrior in ruins. A woman adrift. Four centuries apart, two damaged lives are drawn together at the point of a broken sword. Hunted by assassins and cursed by fate, they must reweave the threads of destiny to destroy a Lord of the Unburied Dead. Their currency is blood: for one to heal, the other must kill.

Kindness of Killers was a lot of fun, swapping between the two art styles for the two different time periods. Stretched a few of my creative muscles. It’s been a while since I drew an ultraviolent, horror comic and it was a lot of fun to dip back into these waters. My aim is to have a more scratchy, messy style with Takakage (the gnarly looking Samurai) and cleaner, solid vibe for Jack (the sweary chick in the bowling shirt). As well as helping separate the two timelines, it gives a chance to play with all the comic book techniques.

It was also a lot fun being part of a team again, bouncing ideas off one another, playing off and expanding concepts. I do like working on my own, but there is nothing quite liking being part of a group of creative people. I hope you dig this book as much I as did drawing it. Issue 2 has been an even better romp.

[phantome29]

lumiere: one of my first finished short comics! I drew this for a short comic contest and am still proud of it, even after all my artistic growth over the past 4 years. I hope that I can share more of Corbin and the manager's stories in the future :}