Renderwrx #3 Now Available

Check it out...Renderwrx magazine issue 3 just hit the web, and you really should go check it out, if for no other reason, then for their excellent and enlightening article on T.M. Maple. 
For anyone who remembers comics from the 80's, especially the letters pages, T.M. Maple is a name you should recognize, as nearly every title worth mentioning ran at least one letter from him at some point.  Inarguably the most prolific and arguably the most insightful comic fan at the time, his fan letters numbered in the thousands.  At a time when it was mark of distinction to be published in a comic's letters page, T.M. Maple possibly had more words published than some comic book writers. 
I'd always assumed that his name was a pseudonym, and every now and then I'll find myself wondering whatever happened to him.  These points and more are addressed in an excellent article in the latest issue of Renderwrx, which also includes, as always, some good reviews and previews of independent comics.  It's free, it's good, and it's available right now!  What more do you want?  Go get it!

Renderwrx 2 Now Available

The second issue of Renderwrx Magazine is now available, with tons of great previews, reviews interviews...and possibly other things that end with "views".  Check out the preview for Fubar...looks like a fun read.  Once again the editors were kind enough to give us a full page adspace, so do us all a favor and check out the book and the website.

Renderwerx Magazine Now Available

Does anyone remember fanzines?  I mean the good ones, like RBCC or Spa Fon where the contributors were, often as not, intelligent writers as well as being comic book nuts, and turned out work with actual insight?  While those low print run, local distribution magazines have segued into blogs, and the writers have either gone on to become legend (like Rascally Roy Thomas) or faded into obscurity, the idea of a well-run fanzine lives on in digital form, and it has found its latest incarnation in Renderwrx Magazine.
Freshly debuted, Renderewrx Magazine is a 40 page pdf magazine published by the editors of the Renderwrx website.  The site itself is a well put together home for comics news and reviews, and the magazine takes the idea a step further by publishing longer, in-depth articles, previews of some nice looking indy comics, and ads for publishers (like AIM Comics!) who are worth a look, but may not yet be big enough to get the attention they deserve elsewhere.  The first issue, available for free right now and right here, boasts an ultra-cool cover by artist Phillip S. Neuendorf, an article that gives the hairy eyeball to some of Marvel's past editorial decisions, a portfolio review by comics pros, and an analysis of the flaws of mainstream comics in the 90's, among other things.  There's also links to indy comics and comics related websites that I'm going to have to spend some time checking out, if only to see what the competition is doing.
While I'm at it, I should give thanks to the editors/publishers for giving AIM Comics some room in their first issue to plug "The Brutal Blade of Bruno the Bandit"; it's great to be included in the launch of a fun project like this one.

Clocking in a just under 5 MB for the download, Renderwrx Magazine is a quick, free route to a good quality magazine that shows you just what the internet can be good for.  Go grab a copy and see if you don't agree.

Renderwrx Reviews Brutal Blade of Bruno the Bandit!

Our first review is in from Renderwrx Productions, and it's...well, it's not so good.  Reviewer PD Houston has some lukewarm to downright cold things to say about our first offering, and although they're not positive, at least they're honest.
I can't say I entirely agree with Houston's review, but then I can't say that Bruno the Bandit is for everyone.  If you're looking for edgy comics with the depth of Alan Moore or the bite of Warren Ellis, this ain't it.  I think Ian would agree (correct me if I'm wrong, Ian) that fun and entertainment are the primary goals of Bruno, so Houston's suggestion that the strip is for "someone who still likes what they put in the sunday newspapers" is to a certain degree accurate, and to a similar degree incorrect.
But it's never productive to argue with one's critics, especially when they're being honest.  So I will instead suggest that you go read Houston's review here, then go read some of Bruno the Bandit here, or download a preview of the first issue of "Brutal Blade..." here, and decide for yourself whether Bruno is for you.


And thanks to Houston and the Renderwrx crew for taking the time to read the book and give us your honest opinion.  Good or bad, the feedback is appreciated.