The Comic Critic Reviews Warm Bodies

 I saw the preview of Warm Bodies online long before my wife saw the trailer in the theater. I whispered to her, “Do you want to go see that with me?” Her quick answer was, “No.” Several weeks went by, and the trailer went into regular rotation on television. It was immediately after one of these commercials, a few days before the movie was to open, that my wife looked over at me and said, “Okay, I’ll go see it with you.” You might think that my wife is as huge a movie buff as I am, but you’d be wrong. I enjoy going to the movies with her a great deal, but you’re just as likely to find me alone (or with a friend) as escorting the love of my life. She’s not a big fan of horror movies or zombie movies, either. Our previous trips to the theater had been to see “Wreck-it Ralph” and “Moonlight Kingdom,” so it was a great delight to go with her to see a Zombie movie. When I started to work on my script for the strip, I was fumbling around for a solid direction. It was my wife who stated the obvious connection with Romeo and Juliet. It was so glaringly obvious that I missed it altogether.

The Comic Critic Reviews A Town Called Panic

A Town Called Panic was a fan recommendation and request. It’s a stop-motion animation using as its characters a variety of generic plastic molded toys of various sizes. And while you might think that the stereotypes involved would be offensive, the lack of distinct facial features combined with the lively voices dismiss any derogatory implications. The artists also take the toys and remold them into various positions for the occasional placement when their static, yet highly animated bodies don’t fit the scene. The randomness of events, locals, and interactions with each other are always playful, as if conducted by a child. This fantastic world mirrors all the activities of the real world, with squabbles, annoyances, and friendships—but it’s filled with creative, delightful and absurd settings and tools. Watching A Town Called Panic sent me all the way back to my childhood, when play consisted of no-boundary, guilt-free associations with simple objects full of personality and adventure. I penciled and inked this cartoon while watching Superbowl XLVII.