interviews

Even though I had to do it through emails I'm quite proud of it, she's a cool lady. Check it, yo.

http://latenightwallflower.blogspot.com/2007/06/interview-with-photograp...

Steve Lafler is the creator of Dog Boy comics, the BugHouse series of graphic novels, and now 40 Hour Man which he co-created with writer Stephen Beaupre. Further, 40 Hour Man was released by Lafler's new imprint Manx Media - http://www.manxmedia.com/ - which he created after working for several years with Top Shelf. I caught up with Lafler as he prepares to move on to new adventures and new digs in Mexico with his family, and here is what he had to say.

Let's start by talking about the Dog Boy comics - what do people need to know about these comics and what do they say about you?

I started drawing Dog Boy stories about a year out of college. After doing a daily strip for my college paper at UMass, I’d been messing around with the comic book format, looking to bring myself up to speed with it. As soon as I got a handle on comic pages vs. comic strips, I sat down and Dog Boy just happened, the material flowed like honey. I was working with an automatic writing/surrealist technique at the time, and Dog Boy sprang from my psyche mirroring the concerns of a young man making his way in the world: The search for meaning, for transcendent truth was primary. And of course, so was being broke, drinking beer, dropping acid and trying to get laid. Dog Boy back issues are available from Cosmic Monkey Comics at http://www.cosmicmonkeycomics.com/. I will do a collection someday, who knows when. Joe Sacco wrote an introduction for me, which will be in there.

This is a good punk band and they've been out of the game for almost 6 months. I saw them play at The Pussycat Lounge and they blew me away. I'll be sitting down with the band next week and adding some pics of the interview.

PS- I have a job interview with XXL mag Monday...wish me luck!

By M.J. Kang:

Click for more pics and music from this band.

Strictly Platonic

MJ: Thanks for coming out on the coldest day in New York in two years. You're not wearing many layers.

RP: Just a hoodie, my jacket and a t-shirt.

MJ: No long johns?

RP: No.

MJ: Can you tell me who are Strictly Platonic?

RP: It's me, Romeo Platonic, our drummer, BettyRacecar, Imogen Explosion, our guitarist, Johnny Firehouse, our bassist, and Moise Ramone, who's our back up singer/enforcer.

MJ: You're kind of punk, kind of Goth, but different. How did your sound come about?

"Darkness Calls" has all the trappings of any iconic superhero comic book. The protagonist is the kid someone hurt, abandoned, or bullied, who ultimately finds the inner strength to overcome not just the bad guy, but his or her inner demons. The superhero who is in essence one-half of the protagonist’s tortured psyche is a ripped, sword-wielding, awesomely handsome warrior with long hair, a motorcycle, and bad-ass fighting skills; while the bad-guy is the other half, a creepy, demon-like presence with glowing eyes, flames for hair, a skeletal visage, and claws for feet. The climatic battle scene which occurs in an abandoned warehouse, is a wordless display of power where good ultimately triumphs over evil and we all live to fight another day.

Punk Planet and ZineWiki present an interview with Doris’ Cindy Ovenrack Crabb, by Debbie Rasmussen (Bitch Magazine). Cindy and Debbie discuss Crabb’s introduction to zines, the formation of Doris and Support, Crabb’s upcoming novel and much more.

Crabb began writing Doris zine over 15 years ago, and has more recently contributed and organized compilation zines, while getting into women’s self-health education.

Hello again!

Thanks to everyone who has stopped in to say hi! I just wanted to point out that the content on SOP is kind of one sided right now because I've only got one series going, the Citizen Reports. I will continue this series, but I intend to do much more in depth articles as well.

But the real reason for this post is to let everyone know that we accept writing from external authors. Stop in at SOP today and if you have something to say, send it along. We just might publish it!

Thanks!

Justin M. Kolenc
a.k.a. the Mad Squid
http://www.stateofpunk.com/