b-one comics magazine Vol. 2 #5

b-one comics magazine Vol. 2 #5
Jul 2011

Not my favorite issue of this series. I think I prefer the Stonebrook Tales to all the other features and since there's only a page of them in this story...

b-one comics magazine Vol. 2 #4

b-one comics magazine Vol. 2 #4
Mar 2011

Stonebrook Tales: The Backyard Gig - Part 3

Chivo and Manuel drink beer at the party and goof off. They chase Spanky around until Chivo bumps into Matt Greenstock. Chivo and Matt almost get into a fist fight. Matt’s girlfriend breaks it up before and punches are thrown. Demi sees the whole thing and gets turned on, she seems interested in Chivo once again but nothing happens between them.

The next morning Chivo and Manuel wake up hung over in each other’s arms, clothed and still in the yard where the party took place. Spanky is also there, stripped down to his tighty whities.


The Life and Times of Bubbles Van de Camp

A fish (Bubbles Van de Camp?) in a bowl goes flying through the air. The fish looks like he’s having a good time. At this point I thought this was some supernatural fish. The bowl falls to the ground and smashes. The fish gets eaten by a group of cats.

The fish bowl was thrown by a woman who was tossing it after a guy who was running away from her. My guess is that he did something to piss her off and this was her way of getting back at of at him or least expressing her anger. The fish’s soul rises from what’s left of the corpse. It looks ugly and angry and tells the woman, ”I never liked you!” Before it ascends to heaven.

I liked this piece. Short and to the point. Well illustrated. I like how the mood shifted so quickly.


Apocalypse… Meh (part 2?)

Lillian reports for duty at the emergency room. She must be a doctor or nurse. This story is weird. It didn't make me laugh. I'm not sure what to make of it either than the fact that it doesn't speak to me the way the other two stories do.

b-one comics magazine Vol. 2 #3

b-one comics magazine Vol. 2 #3
Apr 2010

Melissa and Stace are on the cover but I didn’t spot them in any of the stories in this issue.

Apocalypse… Meh
by John Westhoff and Bobgar Ornelas

Corporate life after the apocalypse. This story looks like it mostly written for laughs. I smiled, winced, and shrugged but didn’t laugh at the jokes.

Stonebrook Tales: The Backyard Gig - Part 2
by Bobgar Ornelas

More of Iron Manuel and Chivo at the Backyard Gig. A few new characters are introduced: Robbie, Sasha, and Demi. Demi is the gal that Chivo has a thing for, the one he punched accidentally. She’s with friends and doesn’t have time for Chivo. Robbie whacks Iron Manuel with a cane for checking out his gal, Sasha. The cane was a gift from Sasha. Robbie spends the whole time sitting but I get the impression he doesn’t need the cane to walk.

Creepazoid
by Bobgar Ornelas

Weird superhero story about a guy who is called into action to save a porn store that is on fire. Most of the story is humor centered around Creepazoid getting to the store.

Stonebrook Tales is what interests me the most. The other two stories are light humor. Stonebrook Tales has yet to get terribly deep or meaningful but I’m curious to see how it evolves and where it goes. Humor is such a subjective thing. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the way the first and last stories are told but they just don’t speak to me the way the middle one does.

There is a note from Bobgar at the end of this issue about the creative process.

b-one comics magazine vol. 2 #2

b-one comics magazine vol. 2 #2
Jun 2009

More Stonebrook Tales

Iron Manuel puts on an apron to buy beer. He isn't old enough to legally buy beer but somehow he cons the cashier. It isn't the first time he has gotten away with this trick. He isn't actually shown buying the beer. The chapter opened with Chivo telling Carlos about how Manuel has been able to get away with this followed by Manuel going and doing it once again.

There is another brief interlude with the gas mask wearing character from the previous issue. This time he bursts out of an egg and is engulfed in flames. After the flames subside all that is left is a ring of thorns. Chivo is wearing a t-shirt with the gas mask dude's face on it in this issue.

Manuel tells Carlos about how Chivo gave some girl a black eye. It was an accident and she had a crush on Chivo. Later they head over to Spankfest, a party being thrown by their friend Spanky. They buy their way in with some of the beer they bring to the party. There's a bit of confusion about the term shark, which also showed up in the previous issue. Spanky mentions the "shark" and they think he is talking about someone named Alice the Shark. He is referring to a shark shaped bottle opener.

Stacy dreams while listening to music. She has a full head of hair in the dream. I'm pretty sure it is Stacy based on how she looks and what immediately follows the dream. In the dream. She is listening to the beat of drums and can't remember who she is. She wakes up and the phone rings. It is Melii. She wants to hang out.

I'm enjoying the way the story is unfolding and the pace at which it moves. It doesn't remind me of my youth but I like the feel of it. The dream sequence is my favorite part of this issue. To me it felt the most surreal and familiar, at the same time.

b-one comics magazine vol. 2 #1

b-one comics magazine vol. 2 #1
Sep 2008

by Bobgar Ornelas and Paul "Wheels" Ortiz

Most of this issue is part of the ongoing stories called Stonebrook Tales. Chivo and "Iron" Manuel are the main characters. I think they are in high school. Chivo has dark hair and a goatee. Manuel has blond hair. They hang out, screw around, and drink beer. Manuel needs some help studying for a test for his art history class. Chivo tries to help him but Manuel isn't very attentive. The next day he sleeps in and misses the test.

There are some weird surrealistic interludes throughout the book. I don't think they are connected to Stonebrook Tales by anything other than physical proximity.

Melii and Stace are the protagonists of the last bit of the book. Stace has most of her head shaved in what looks like a thin floppy Mohawk. On one of the few colored pages the Mohawk is multicolored. Melii wears a dress but Stace is dressed in jeans and a hoodie. Melii has a crush on one of the guys but it isn't clear just yet which of the guys it is. The guys keep yelling "shark" for no apparent reason. Might be part of a drinking game. Once the women get close enough to see what the guys are up to they lose interest and take off.

So far I like. I like the pacing and the general relaxed feel of the book. The interludes are a nice change of pace. I don't really understand them but they feel like little experiments, scribbles, doodles, half formed ideas.

I bought the first 7 issues in a digital bundle from King Bone Press. I paid $7 but I think you can get them all for as little as $5.

Gum Road: https://gumroad.com/kingbonepress

b-one comics magazine vol. 2 #10

King Bone Press
June 2016

. I bought this book, which is only available digitally, when it first came out in June and just got around to reading it now

Stonebrook Tales

. This looks like an ongoing story; it looks like it is mostly a relationships type story or collection of stories; it isn't an anthology but there are a few different story threads that are running at the same time; the different threads crisscross as characters move from one thread to another
. Chivo, Manuel, and Demi hang out together; Chivo and Manuel goof off; Chivo and Demi are dating but things aren't going real well between them; Chivo can't seem to do much right in Demi's eyes and by the end of this issue she dumps him, it probably doesn't help that he burps after going down on her; Manuel doesn't seem to do much in this issue other than hang around and good off
. Stacey hangs with Melii; Melii has a crush on Manuel, she is just 13; Stacey can't seem to get much right in her life in terms of relationships with guys; she threatens one guy who she suspects has been stalking Melii; she offers to blow him if he will leave Melii alone, so he does and she does
. It seems like there's some past history between Manuel and Stacey but it's unclear from reading just this issue exactly what that history might entail
. Stacey makes a new friend, Simone, who has a crush on Stacey, who lets her down easy and doesn't make a scene
. There's another couple in this comic, Jean and Carlos, but they don't do much talking; especially Carlos
. I think I'm a little too new to this story to assess it properly; it probably doesn't help that this is the first installment that I have read but I'm curious and want to read more

Tales of Vroom-Vroom Cat

. A kid friendly interlude in a book that otherwise seems to be for teens and older readers
. Robot threatens cat; cat cringes; robot looks menacing; cat transforms; no dialogue, just pictures

Date Night

. An alien abduction story that ends with an unexpected and humorous twist; not sure if this is a one off story or part of a series

10/14