Happy Samhain - October 29, 2001

Despite the completely disgusting, Tales from the Crypt-parody nature of this month's Short, I really do love Halloween. From the days when we were wrapped in nylon jumpsuits with screenpainted Superman or Batman costumes on them, shaking down the neighbors for sugary crap, to the booze-hazed costume parties of college and beyond - this has always been my favorite holiday.

Generations ago, people used to believe that on this holiday the borders between the spirit world and our world were at their thinnest. Those departed would walk the earth once more, perhaps searching for someone in the waking world to communicate with, or visit loved ones left behind. The wearing of ghost costumes came about when villagers wanted to escort their departed guests back to their rightful resting places.

The day, called Samhain by pagans and wiccans in centuries past through today, is one of their most revered holy days. If you’d like to learn more about the origins of this very special holiday, I highly recommend Peg Aloi’s article "You call it Hallowe’en … we call it Samhain."

Have a safe, happy and healthy Samhain. Remember fondly those who have passed, and save some candy apples for me.
Logan

Weekly Plug: Keeping in touch with the spirit of the holiday (no pun intended) I'd like to direct your attention to Jeff Zugale's Pagan City Comics and his fantastic Mystic for Hire. Set in a world where magic and mysticism go hand in hand with today's technologies, Rachel Danara is a freelance hero instilled with the powers of Chaos Magic, out to stop the evil mages, necromancers and werewolves who plague her world. Great art, endearing storytelling and a fun read. Enjoy!

Horror Comics by El Quatro - October 22, 2001

I'm a Halloweenie. This is my favorite time of year. Ever since I was a kid, I'd count the days till October 31st would roll around so I could get dressed up in some funky costume and act like a jackass (as opposed to dressing normally and acting like a fool, which I do the other 364 days of the year).

I'm also a huge fan of the classic EC Comics - you know, the original Tales from the Crypt, The Vault of Horror and all that. So it had always been a desire of mine to do a parody comic paying tribute to those brilliant old horror tales.

With an intro like that, I can't believe that I'm now going to point you in the direction of this month's Short.

Back in 1991 I was in college, and actually looked like the El Quatro character from KU-2. Acted a bit like him too, and certainly had the same attitude. And that, as luck would have it, is when I decided to make my EC parody comic. For anyone reading this who didn't know me back then, my sincerest apologies.

For your punkin-headed-pleasure, I now present Really Creepy Shit Horror Comics by El Quatro.

Just another Mouldy Old God,
Logan

Weekly Plug: Speaking of creepy stuff, every week Chris "Crimeboss" Mills and veteran comics artist Joe Staton serve up a ghoulish helping of horror and hard-boiled suspense in the pulp comics masterpiece Femme Noir over at Supernatural Crime. A murderous thug back from the dead? Just another day in Port Nocturne. Go get an eyefull, ya lousy bum!

Web Cartoonists develop new fetish? - October 15, 2001

Like any good long-range project, KU-2 is created well in advance of the date it goes live here on the website. At this point, the storyline is written far beyond Up from the Depths, and a couple of other KU-2 projects (which are, for now, top seekret) have the writing chores wrapped up as well. I also like to keep about a month or so ahead on the artwork, but that can fluctuate based upon how busy my day-to-day life is.

The reason I'm sharing this with you is not to give you a fun glimpse into the creative dynamic behind the artistic process in creating a webcomic. It's to try to explain the boobs.

But rather than actually explain it, I'll show you instead. Go read this week's installment of KU-2: Up from the Depths. I'll wait. Hmm hmm hmmmm. There, wasn't that great? But wait - now go read my buddy Nate Piekos' twice-a-week strip Back Issues. Notice a common theme here? No, this does not mean that Nate and I are peeking into each other's sketchbooks. No, there is no unexpected team-up between KU-2 & Mike Campion coming up. The common elements in both these strips can mean only one thing:

Web cartoonists get some perverse pleasure out of drawing creepy old naked women.

Talk to you next week, I have to go call my shrink.

Geriatrically yours,
Logan

Weekly Plug: Mike Paglia is the twisted genius behind such oddities as Sam Cam Adventures (photo-cartoon absurdity!) and The Gorilla Milkshake (with interviews with some of today's hottest web cartoonists). But he also makes the very twisted and very cool Those Darn Mormons comic, and updates at least a couple of times a week. Mike currently has TDM doing a parody … kind of … of Up from the Depths! So if you want a great laugh with some pretty recognizable themes and just a splash of halftone dots, go read TDM: Up from the Baptismal at One Less Sock Comics now!

Dawning of a Dark Age - October 8, 2001

Tomorrow is the release of what many of my fellow gaming geeks in the MMOG community would call TNBT (The Next Big Thing). It seems like more and more of these Massive Multiplayer Online Games are launching, and I for one will be curious to see which ones make it through their virtual infancy.

I cut my teeth in the online-gaming world in Ultima Online. I played it for years, bringing with me into that virtual landscape half-a dozen of my real-world friends, and making dozens more in the almost four-years I played the game. Within that time I played on both Catskills and the PvP-intensive Siege Perilous. From there I did a brief but very enjoyable stint in Asheron's Call, and was among the first American Beta testers of Anarchy Online. I've led many a virtual life.

Tomorrow the worlds of Albion, Hybernia and Midgard open for the first day of the Dark Age of Camelot. My old Guild from UO has gathered, and awaits entrance to their new homeworld. I'm really looking forward to this one.

But prithee, worry not. I promise you, o faithful Ku fan, that I shall n'er let this passtime come betwixt me and mine art. Verily, I shall deliver unto thee new pages from the life-book of KU-2, and …

Damnit. I'm roleplaying again, aren't I?

See thee in Camelot!
Logan

Weekly Plug: In a seedy corner of the web there's a gang o' art-thugs dishing out a pulpy helpin' of tales sure to smack you in the kisser like a knuckle sandwich. Check out the newly launched, and damned entertaining, Modern Pulp Comics featuring Sprecken in The Case of Carcupio's Contraband with words by Brian "Micro Brew" Meredith and pictures by Dangerous Dan Larson (of Stickman fame). And don't miss Brian's newest contributions to our own KU-2 Guest Artist Gallery! Don't make me tell ya twice, punk!

Gallery Show! (cocktail weenies & umbrella drinks to be served later) - October 1, 2001

Do you remember the first of Octember? (Okay, I still read too much Dr. Seuss - so sue me, Sue Snue). With the first update of a new month, you're probably hankerin' for a hunka comics - traditionally, this is the day that we here at KU-2.com throws you that bonus Short Story. But with the very difficult time all of us had last month, I couldn't bring myself to retire Heroes to the Shorts Archives section yet. So for the next couple of weeks, Heroes will continue to occupy the Shorts spot (but coming up in time for Halloween is a Short that is a personal fave of mine, so sit tight).

So what do I have for you? How about new top-notch webcomics and resources added to the Links page. Not enough? Then take a gander at two new Logan illustrations in The Gallery. You still want more?!? Good thing I saved the best for last: go check the ultra-cool, brand-spankin'-new Guest Artist Gallery with no less than 9 kickass renditions of KU, Quatro and even Shadow-Man! What's that, you say? Still not enough? … Bite me.

Enjoy the new stuffs, and I'll babble at you next week!
Logan

Weekly Plug: It's the coolest of the cool in webcomics resources, crank up your Realplayer and head on over to Joey Manley's Talk About Comics where you can listen to weekly interviews with the top talent in webcomics. There's a great directory of the best comics on the web, Forums and more, so check it out now!

The show must go on. - September 24, 2001

A lot of people are having trouble in their daily lives in the aftermath of the tragic events of Tuesday, September 11th. Not just those who knew people who worked at the World Trade Center or The Pentagon, or were on one of those commercial flights which were used as weapons against us that day. Under the surface of the American, and indeed the global consciousness, there is sadness and frustration - and yes, anger.

Many people are having trouble just going through the motions of their daily lives for purely emotional reasons. And many more are being affected by the rippling effect the attack on our nation has caused in unforeseen economic ways. But we as a people have only lost if we give up hope. And it has become damned apparent in the last few weeks that hope is something we have in abundance.

My thoughts, hopes and (in my own fashion) prayers go out to not only the friends and families of the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks, but to each and every person reading this. Be strong. Be good to each other. Rise above the potential for mob hysteria, and respect your fellow Americans regardless of their lineage. And I'll talk to you again next Monday.

Logan

Weekly Plug: Check out Nate Piekos' brilliant Back Issues, an online comic about the life and times of Mike Campion, an indie comic book writer/artist. It's an hilarious look at our favorite medium from a tweaked insider's perspective, and a new favorite of mine! Updated every Wednesday and Saturday.

What a difference a week makes. - September 17, 2001

Last Monday I proudly announced the birth of my new baby daughter here in this space. Less than 24 hours later, I stared in shock and disbelief with the rest of America at the horrific images from New York and Washington DC.

Be good to each other. Be strong. Have pride and faith in your country and it's leaders that they will do what's right. Recognize that Arab-Americans are not your enemies. And be well till we see this thing through.

Logan

A new little alien has arrived ... - September 10, 2001

Last Thursday, September 6th at 2:02 pm, my beautiful wife and I were blessed with the arrival of our daughter, Rowan. Weighing in at 8 pounds, 6 ounces, and sporting a spider-web shaped birthmark on her hip, the entire DeAngelis family is thrilled with our latest, beautiful addition!

She joins big brothers Loki (4) and Griffin (2) in making my life so much more worthwhile, and so much more interesting. Welcome to the world, sweetheart!

Big Daddy Logan

Splash! - September 3, 2001

Heya, Ku-fans! Some minor (mostly cosmetic) site changes this week, including the new homepage you’re viddying right this moment – featuring KU-2 vs the Kiapolo from last week’s Up from the Depths page. I figured that pic summed up the Depths storyline in one graphic shot pretty well, so why not put it on the "cover"?

In addition to this week’s Depths, it’s the first Monday of September, which means time for a new Monthly Short. This month’s piece is my contribution to this past week’s ALTBRAND Comics MDA WebComic Telethon. The cartoonists at Altbrand are a great group of guys who put together a really cool online telethon to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and had some of the top cartoonists on the web donate their time and efforts to raising money for his very worthy cause. Although the Altbrand Telethon is over, I encourage you to make a small donation to MDA if you feel moved to do so after reading this month’s short, entitled Mikey.

And if you get a second, check out the once-again-updated Links page, with even more web-comic goodness added this week!

See ya in tha funny papers,

Logan

Don’t call it a comeback! - August 27, 2001

Hey, it’s really great to be here! As most of you know, we were on an unexpected vacation for the last two weeks here at Ku-2.com (and our buddy Mr. E’s site Cartoonin.com). We packed up and moved hosts and most of the delays were on the part of some seriously pokey DNS changes. Mad props to The Frymaster over at our new host, Deep Fried Comics, for all the work he put in to make this go so easily for us. You da man, Fry-Guy!

I also just want to take the opportunity to thank our former host, Evilseed of the United Online Entertainment Network, for the really fine hosting we’ve had since KU-2 launched back in March. Evil and his whole crew were always great to us, and it was a hard decision to leave them. But UOE is a gaming network, and DFC is a web comics network – so in the end I went to where I felt we fit in best. Thanks again, Evilseed – and I’ll see you in Shadowbane!

The last big BIG thanks this week goes out to my beautiful wife, Jodi. The classic "woman behind the man," she is always my most supportive fan in everything I do. Even now, with just a week or two to go until she pops with Loganspawn III, she was happy to help me out with research on the pages I’m currently working on, and generous with all the time that artwork requires. You’re the best, baby!

On deck for next week: some minor site redesign, a new monthly short story (as Shadow-Man retires to the Archives), and maybe some more cool stuff.

See ya in 7 days!

Logan

The Return of Shadow-Man. - August 5, 2001

It was 1979, and I was 10 years old.

I was that obsessive, loud little kid who didn’t want to go outside and play. The one who watched too much TV, read hundreds of comic books, and was always drawing. It was inevitable that I eventually create my own mini-comics. Shadow-Man #1 was the first of these, and before I stopped drawing them (and the rest of the OD Comics line), there were no less than 87 full issues.

Cliched and simplistic, the recent discovery of a shoebox full of these pages of yesterday nevertheless show a passion for a medium that I carry to this day, and are a window into a very special time in my childhood. I hope you get a laugh out of seeing this very early attempt at my comics. I know I sure did!

Ladies and Gentlemen: I give you Shadow-Man.

Logan

Yo, haole ... - July 30, 2001

From the Props Where Props is Due dept. here at the Protean Void home office, I just want to send out a big word of thanks to Kevin Kalahiki from kalahiki.com for some local flavor assist in the script on this week’s KU-2 page. Kevin is an illustrator and graphic designer who I came into contact with through the Circlecomics forums, and has been most cool in sharing his thoughts about growing up in Hawaii with some annoying cartoonist from New jersey.

Thanks, Kev – this week is for you.

And Props pt.2 go out to The Frymaster over at Deep Fried Comics, home of the brand spankin' new KU-2 Forums! If you dig comics, especially Indie and Web Comics, stop by Deep Fried and check out whats cookin'!

Logan