FUBAR #2, Empire of the Rising Dead
Stories by Jeff McComsey, Benjamin Truman, Shawn Aldridge, Rafer Roberts, Kevin Johnson, Steve Becker, Stephen Lindsay, Jennie Wood, Dominic Vivona, Mark Bertolini, Lonny Chant, Phil McClorey, Matt Kendzior, Kyle Kaczmarczyk, Michael Isenberg, Oliver Mertz, Michael McDermott, Jorge Vega, Timothy Zaprala, Jeff McClelland, Richard Meyers, Helaine Crawford, Eric Spohn, Ronald Montgomery, Mike Imboden

Art by Jonathan Moore, Jeff McComsey, Joe Dunn, Rafer Roberts, Kurt Belcher, Michael Bracco, Daniel Thollin, Jim McMunn, Dominic Vivona, Carl Yonder, Lonny Chant, Jason Copland, Steve Willhite, Rob Croonenborghs, Steve Becker, Jeremy Massie, Aluisio Cervelle Santos, Aluisio Cervelle Santos, Mario Wytch, Richard Meyers, Helaine Crawford, Eric Spohn, James Giar, Shamus McGuigan, Leonardo Pietro, Danilo Beyruth

Letters by Jeff McComsey, Shawn Aldridge, Michael Bracco, Jeff McClelland, Jason Meadows, Chris Horan, Phil McClorey, Rob Croonenborghs, Julie Shelton, Jason Arthur

FUBAR Press and Alterna Comics
Release Date: January 11, 2012
Cover Price: $14.95

Oh FUBAR, you had me at “blarg.”

FUBAR #2, Empire of the Rising Dead is a 200+ page, World War II with zombies, short story extravaganza. Whereas the first issue took place in the European theater, this issue takes place solely in the Pacific theater. It’s all here: Pearl Harbor, Hiroshima, island hopping warfare, geishas, evil Japanese scientific experiments, shark attacks on stranded sailors, and Tuskegee. But, you know, with zombies.

We’re all geeks here. And really, what would we have to geek about if creative types didn’t pour their souls into their work? These guys and gals take enormous and, sometimes, unappreciated risks to put their products into our Cheeto-salted mitts. One of the largest hurdles that indie creators face is finding the funds or the commercial interest to publish their works. Crowdfunding, one of the most inspiring uses of social media, seeks to mitigate independent publishing risks and costs. Sites such as Kickstarter and IndieGoGo give fans an opportunity to have a stake in up-and-coming projects.

On crowdfunding sites you can find countless comics, movies, documentaries, and games with their creators just asking for a shot at getting idea off the ground. Typically, for a few bucks more than you might have paid otherwise, you get a copy of the product and the satisfaction of knowing that you are helping somebody get their foot in the door. The project owners set a pledge goal with various levels of giving. The more money you pledge, the more loot you get in return for a successful campaign. I’ve seen pledge rewards such as signed copies, a spot in the acknowledgements, custom sketches, production comic pages, and even including you as a character in the story.

FUBAR-The Devil’s Dance Floor
Story and Art by Jeff McComsey
Cover and Pin Ups by Steve Becker
Fubar Press
Release Date: May 5, 2012 (In-Stores)
Release Date: April 17, 2012 (Digital Download)
Cover Price: Free!

I have to admit, at first the idea of reviewing a comic that will be coming out for free on Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) seemed odd to me. That is, until I realized just how many free-of-charge offerings will be up for grabs on FCBD. FUBAR: The Devil’s Dance Floor is one of those offerings, and with no price tag, this comic is a no-brainer when it comes to picking up comics on FCBD.

It is not stretch to say that the zombie genre has been done to “death” in comics. However, with the hordes of zombie comics that lurch their way onto shop shelves every week, there is at least one that stands above the rest. FUBAR: The Devil’s Dance Floor seems to intentionally go out of its way to avoid tired gross-out bits that are so commonly found in this type of comic, and instead focuses on an interesting story.

Fubar: Balls To The Wall
Blu-ray | DVD | On Demand
Directed by Michael Dowse
Starring: David Lawrence, Paul J. Spence, Andrew Sparacino, Terra Hazelton
Screen Media Films
Release date: April 20, 2011

The sequel to the Canadian mockumentary comedy, FUBAR, has arrived. Screen Media Films have been marketing this film as “Spinal Tap meets The Trailer Park Boys” – but it’s got a bit of Jackass in there too, as well as a touch of Tenacious D, Bill and Ted, and Wayne’s World thrown in for good measure. And while there is truth to the comparisons above, there’s something about the sequel, Fubar: Balls to the Wall that stands on its own. If you’re a metalhead, and enjoy any of the films mentioned above, then this is a movie you will most likely enjoy.

And there’s metal and hard rock spread nicely throughout this film, with songs from and references to bands such as Dio, Krokus, Blue Cheer, Poison, Slaughter, and much more.

Avid consumers of graphic fiction, it’s time for you to grab a small stack of comic books or a good graphic novel and head out to a public park, coffee shop or other crowded venue. Today is international “Read Comics In Public” day and coincidentally also the birthday of legendary artist Jack Kirby.

The point of reading comics in public is to help end the feeling of embarrassment associated with reading comic books, explains Editor of The Daily Cross Hatch Brian Heater, who came up with the idea.

“Take to the streets. Be proud. If someone asks what you’re reading, say, “a comic book” (the phrase “graphic novel is also acceptable, but let’s face it, it sort of defeats the whole purpose). Heck, lend them a book, if you’ve got an extra””what better way to make a new friend and convert a new reader?,” Heater writes on the Day’s official blog.

To further the cause, there’s also a flickr pool set up for people to snap photos of what they’re reading.

I’m going to go a step further than these guys and say everyone participating should do more than just read comics in public. Ripping a page out of Marvel Comics Chief Creative Officer Joe Quesada’s book — once you finish reading those comic books in public, leave them for others to find and read. Of course for big time collectors, this might present a problem, but everyone has that stack of comics that they don’t want to file into their personal stash. Don’t throw them away (ever).

Read them in public, leave them in public.

Check out what the Geeks of Doom staff is reading below…