Getting good Feedback about our Luke Cage Tribute Issue!

Under cover of darkness, I sent out copies of that Luke Cage Tibute issue (lovingly referred to as the "Sweet Christmas Special" even though it's obviously NOT christmastime) to my subscribers, preorderers and other assorted deserving peeps last Wednesday, and the first reverberations started hitting my various inboxes this weekend...

"the new 'Luke Cage' issue of GhettoManga is off the hook! It rocks in sooo many ways. Loved the way you broke down Bendis' Luke Cage in Alias...."

-Mutantstar



"How did you get Mike Hawthorne to draw a pinup?!? He's one of my favorites artists!"

-Barry K.

"Mini Battle Men is my new shit! Tell Zees he got a winner on his hands, son!"

-Big Shane

"Wow! Dan Fu's work is very promising! His writing and art are both loose and sharp... a great find!"
-Sara Q.
Yo, I really appreciate that so many people took the time to drop a line, tweet, comment or whatever. The magazine is a labor of love, and every comic, illustration and article is chosen by me. I try to take criticism objectively and constructively, but I definitely take all the love personal.   And juuust in case you haven't bought a copy or subscription yet...

Here's the Sales Pitch:
The GhettoManga Sweet Christmas Special features a gallery of tribute art dedicated to Marvel's resident soul brother #1, with art by lots of underground talent that you need to get familiar with. There's also new comics from Zees Moreno (Mini Battle Men) and Dan Fu (The Retriever), plus articles by Jay Potts (World of Hurt), Corance Davis (GodBody) and more... Back issues of the 52 page full color magazine are already available on IndyPlanet.  You can order single issues for ten bucks each (includes shipping), or subscribe 
and get 4 issues for the price of 3!

GhettoManga Quarterly

4 issue Subscription $30.00 Single Issue $10.00

So, thanks again! Production has already started on the next issue, and of course, you know where to find me...

holla!

samax.

ghettoManga.com

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Wishlist- "Our Love is Real" by Sam Humphries & Steven Sanders #WTF

I saw a preview poster for writer Sam Humphries (CBGB; Fraggle Rock) and artist Steven Sanders' (Uncanny X-Men: The Heroic Age, SWORD; Five Fists of Science) new self-published comic Our Love is Real and I have to admit, I'm curious where they're going with it! I gaffled a 6 page preview and  posted it with some of my patented blah blah below...

Here's the sales pitch:

FIVE YEARS AFTER THE AIDS VACCINE...Plantsexuals riot in the streets for equal rights. Humans fall in love with dogs. And crystals are more than just jewelry. A chance encounter on the job changes a riot cop's life forever as he finds himself caught in a bizarre love triangle that blurs romance, crime, and lust beyond recognition.

OUR LOVE IS REAL is a bold new sci-fi one-shot written by Sam Humphries (one of Wizard's "Five Writers to Watch in 2011"; CBGB; Fraggle Rock) and illustrated by Steven Sanders (Uncanny X-Men: The Heroic Age; SWORD; Five Fists of Science).

Marriage equality is a real hot-button topic right now, so what better way to tackle it than making an exquisitely drawn comic farce that turns the whole debate on its ear. At least that's what I'm hoping for! Of course, it's possible that it's just gonna be just some well-drawn preaching. But I don't think so...

But I'm just guessing. OLIR went on sale today. You can buy it on the website as a digital download or a physical copy. You can also buy it in stores in selected cities. Click here for more info. I can imagine this post might insight spirited political dialogue, and while that's totally not my intent, I can live with it...

holla!

-samax.

ghettoManga.com
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CWR interviews Cormega, Jean Grae, C-Rayz Walz & more! #hipHop

Conspiracy Worldwide Radio is back again with another great show. Cormega dials in to speak on his Haiti benefit song I Made a Difference, his upcoming double disc best-of joint Raw Forever, and more. That's cool and all, but I did a serious double take when I heard Jean Grae dropped in bigging up her new DJ Drama mixtape and (of course) teasing her long-awaited studio album Cake or Death. Besides being one of the sickest rhymers you'll find anywhere, she is really deep and the CWR cats delve into some good stuff.  Being that I am in middle-school-intensity love with Jean in general, I would tune in just for that... but C-Rayz Walz has been on my mind lately too, so his appearance on my favorite hip hop interview show was right on time! yeah, we're talking close to six hours music, interviews, etc from the my dudes Menace and Montana.

C-Rayz Walz is one of my favorite emcees, so it's good to hear him speak on his upcoming releases, including his upcoming album All Blvck Everything: The Prelude. I had no knowledge of this new joint, or the fact that he was coming on, so my eyes pro'lly bugged out when I saw that he was coming on. I haven't heard much from Walz since he got out of jail, so it's good to hear from the emcee.

Besides that, there's lots of records spun from the usual suspects like Nas and Canibus, and lots of good stuff I wasn't familiar with. Dope. Don't forget to click here to cop that Cormega single I Made a Difference which they played on the show. Proceeds will go to Sean Penn's organization, which has boots on the ground, actually getting things done in Haiti.
holla!

-samax. 

ghettoManga.com

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start the day off Right w/ some hip hop violin...

One of my Facebook friends posted this yesterday, and I've been rocking hip hop violin joints since, via the magic of the youTube...


of course, the pioneers of this isht for me is the two man team Black Violin, who I first discovered a few years ago...

here's a few joints from them


and here's that chick Miri Ben-Ari with Styles P

So yeah... have a great day!
holla!
samax.  
ghettoManga.com 
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PREVIEW- Drums #1

I don't know much about Drums,  the new horror/crime comic from Image Comics, but this looks dope, so I figured I'd share it with y'all...
The Sales Pitch:

"LET THE BATÁA SPEAK"
In our world there exists an ancient religion with many names and many disguises: Candomble, Palo Mayombe, Santeria... Voodoo. FBI agent Martin Irons is sent to investigate the sudden deaths of an entire gathering of followers at a ceremony, an assignment horrible enough before one of the mangled corpses rises and leads him on a sinister path. A new horror story with possessions, santeros, zombies... all set to the thunderous boom of drums!

Yeah... Drums #1 is in stores now... might hafta cop it. If I do, I'll definitely let y'all know what I thought of it.
holla!

samax.

ghettoManga.com
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Canibus, Luther Campbell, Vast Aire, Elzhi & more #conspiracyRadio #interview #hipHop

This episode of Conspiracy Worldwide Radio is an instant classic! Canibus comes on to talk about his beef with Slaughterhouse, Luke talks about his Mayoral Campaign (yeah, I know...) and Detroit spitter and Slum Villager Elzhi speaks on his new album and European tour. Did I mention Vast Aire dropped in too? Rated J for Jeauh!
part one:

Luke for Mayor? yup. Here's part two

holla!

samax.

ghettoManga.com
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a salute to Moms Everywhere!!!

Hope everyone's having a great weekend... my wife is celebrating Mother's Day by engaging in her favorite pass time: Sleeping. I hope you are enjoying your mom (or mom substitute), and to all the moms out there, we at GhettoManga salute you!
♥
-samax

ghettoManga.com
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Gratuitous Ninja VS Tsunami (Round Three)... FIGHT!!!!

 that dude Ron Wimberly (feared by the saint and sinner alike as the almighty D-Pi) has been representing lately, lending his drawing arm to the relief efforts in the land of the Rising Sun...
above, we've got envelopes of art being gifted to fans who donated $35 or more to aid in the relief efforts. As you can see, he sweetened the deal with fresh doodles on the envelopes as well! Below, peep some of the art

for more info, and to donate to the cause (and get you some free art), click here!
holla!

-samax.

ghettoManga.com

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Step up if you wanna get HURT!!!!

Yeah, the world's #1 blaxploitation webcomic -Jay Potts' jaw-smashing action joint World of Hurt- is gearing up to make the leap to print, and YOU (yeah, YOU) need to help make it happen...


Even if you THINK you don't like blaxploitation comics, you still oughta drop a little change to help the World of Hurt: The Thrill Seekers graphic novel get made. Though it's usually played for laughs in popular Blaxploitation films and comics, the 70s was a very rich time in black history. Civil rights left black people feeling empowered and self-reliant, and that is part of what fueled the fashion and overall vibe of the decade. If you've never read the ghettoManga Award-winning story of Isaiah 'Pastor' Hurt, a world-class mofo who can fix any problem if you can pay the price, World of Hurt is best consumed as a straight period action story that strives for authenticity, not parody of the era.

"World of Hurt attempts to combine the format and storytelling traditions of classic newspaper strips like Peter O’Donnell’s Modesty Blaise and Alex Raymond’s Rip Kirby with the visceral energy and iconography of the Black action movies of the 1970s, such as Shaft, Trouble Man, and Super Fly..." explains series creator Jay Potts. "Although some of the more lurid and over-the-top aspects of the Blaxploitation film movement certainly lend themselves to satire or humor, the intent of World of Hurt is to use the time period and setting as a departure point for dramatic, urban crime stories in the vein of some of the best Black action films of the 1970s." And it works. Potts has the artistic chops that are less and less common in modern comics where computer effects and expressionistic cartooning seek to replace good, old-fashioned draftsmanship. The solidity of the world Potts creates lends credibility to the peril he throws his characters into, and helps keep readers coming back for more!

I'd say most people who like blaxploitation genre films and comics would love World of Hurt, but it would also be a great surprise for many who lost interest in the genre. Potts manages to deliver all the badass-ness that blaxploitation is known for, without the shuck and jive. That's reason alone to want to see this book printed.  So click here to check out World of Hurt's page on Kickstarter. Check out the cool rewards! I personally pledged $25, 'cause that's a STEAL to get a signed hardcover copy of the book before the rest of the world can buy 'em in stores, but even if you wanna wait, kick in a $5 pledge to get your name listed in the book as a supporter of Blaxploitation done RIGHT!

holla!

-samax.

ghettoManga.com

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Gratuitous Ninja VS Tsunami (Round Two): FIGHT!!

Gratuitous Ninja boss D-pi (the ladies call him Ron Wimberly) continues the grind to assist with disaster relief in Japan. He's creating original art every day to be awarded to fans who donate $35 or more to the Red Cross via his website, and dammit, we think that's fly...

"My work, particularly GratNin, has benefited beyond measure from the culture of Japan..." He explains. "I will draw a GratNin piece every afternoon for the next 30 days and post it at the NinjAid website. I will reward every donation of $35 or more made from that site with one of those original GratNin drawings posted or to be posted there."
Here's a few examples of his disaster relief drawings:

Props to D-pi for stepping forward with this. You can get more info and make a donation at the NinjAid website.  I urge all my readers to find a way that they are comfortable with to help, as the situation in Japan seems to be getting worse by the day. For more examples I have found where you can help, click here.

holla!

samax.

ghettoManga.com
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