FLYMF alum Ralph Gamelli has a humor piece in the Bygone Bureau, “We Made It Through Another Winter.”
Ralph’s story, Rocky Balboa Launches Into Inspirational Speeches Too Frequently, was published in FLYMF’s Greatest Hits. He also contributed How Long Before I Use My Ejector Seat? and Twilight Zone Episodes For the Internet Age.
FLYMF alum Stefan Schumacher has published his debut novel, “Death by Strip Mall.” I’m looking forward to receiving my copy. Here’s the description that accompanies it:
“Both touching and hilarious.” Those are the words author T.C. Boyle used to describe Death By Strip Mall, a look at one man’s struggle against the modern world. One man’s choice between forgiveness and retribution. It is the story of a grown man’s encounters with love, strip malls, and a curious Fourth of July mating ritual. Max is a twenty-five-year-old man living at home with his mother. When he gets a surprise phone call from an old high school antagonist, asking forgiveness for something horrible that happened in the past, he is forced to reexamine his life. His underemployment. His undiagnosed allergy to the blinding lights of consumer America. His crippling neurotic vision of society. Set against the backdrop of the soulless America of strip malls, big box stores and chain restaurants, Max begins a quest for revenge and a way to accept the past. To attain peace, he must face his demons, and the decaying world around him.
Stefan’s work for FLYMF included I Love My Dingy Poppers.
FLYMF alum Ralph Gamelli has a short humor piece covering facts about fun in the Morning News: “Being Eddie is Fun and Other Facts.”
Ralph’s story, Rocky Balboa Launches Into Inspirational Speeches Too Frequently, was published in FLYMF’s Greatest Hits. He also contributed How Long Before I Use My Ejector Seat? and Twilight Zone Episodes For the Internet Age.
Something I’ve been meaning to mention for a long time now: FLYMF alum Gini Koch is having a great response to her ongoing Alien series, published by DAW books. The first installment, “Touched by an Alien,” has inspired a sequel, “Alien Tango,” and it looks like there are more installments in the pipeline. You can see all the details at her web site.
The reviews indicate the books are full of sci-fi fun. I look forward to catching up with the series!
Gini’s stories for FLYMF included…well, she wrote for us under a different name, and I’m not sure she wants to share it. But if she was published in FLYMF, you know she has to be funny.
R. Sikoryak’s “Masterpiece Comics” is an inspired mash-up, combining classic works of literature with classic comic book and comic strip characters. At their best, the stories unite shared themes underlying each work. “Blond Eve” settles the Bumsteads in the Garden of Eden, where Dagwood’s open gluttony and Blondie’s innocent curves subject them to the raging wrath of Mr. Dithers.
It’s fun to watch Sikoryak connect the dots. Garfield’s selfishness takes a sinister turn as he tempts Jon Arbuckle into damnation in a retelling of Faust. Superman sneers through his downfall for “shooting an Arab” in Action Camus. Batman—complete with an axe on his chest in place of his traditional symbol (Sikoryak is careful with trademarks)—rationalizes the murder of his pawnbroker.
Each tale is paired with painstaking execution, as Sikoryak’s adaptable style lets him showcase the grace notes of the artists he mimics. His Little Nemo/Dorian Gray spoof showcases Winsor McCay’s immaculate detail; his pairing of Charlie Brown and “Metamorphosis” employs Charles Schulz’s simple, evocative lines.
A few of the stories seem more like retelling than reinvention, namely his Tales from the Crypt take on “Wuthering Heights” and his pairing of Little Lulu with “The Scarlet Letter.” Unfortunately, these are two of the longer stories in the book, and they come off as stylized recaps.
But most of the stories work, and all of them are inspired. For fans of classic works in both mediums, “Masterpiece Comics” offers plenty of smiles and some smug recognition as well.