Off Grid #1
Written by Plaid Klaus
Illustrated by Plaid Klaus
Colored by Plaid Klaus
Lettered by Plaid Klaus
Cover by Plaid Klaus
Mind Comics
Release Date: July 3, 2013
Cover Price: $2.49 (Digital), $3.99 (Print)

Off-Grid can be easily summed summed up as the Prepper fantasy book. Writer-Artist Plaid Klause pitches the book on his website thusly:

“The story revolves around a civil war that breaks out after the nation’s grid system is shut down for three weeks and the government mandates all civilians report to the major city “habitation zones” It explores the underground fight between the modern day high tech war machine and a small group of ex-military and anonymous hackers who call themselves “The Resistance” The novel [sic] also explores emerging technologies such as nano-bots and technology that is implantable into the human body.”

Which is maybe a bit vague: two issues in the focus of the book has focused on Half dozen Resistance characters and two hippies fighting Big Brother. Or running from Big Brother, it’s still not quite clear.

Psychonauts #1
A Trip through the Multiverse
Created by Plaid Klaus
Mind Comics
Release Date: June 1, 2012
Cover Price: $1.99

Psychonauts like the many stoner comedies before it, is a comic deeply rooted in drug culture. Now, while that may seem impenetrable to those among us who don’t walk on the psychedelic wild side, creator Plaid Klaus tries his damnedest to make this comic as accessible as possible. And for the most part Klaus succeeds with a beautiful blend of mind-bending, witty writing and polished classic cartoon-style art.

What sets Psychonauts apart from your run-of-the-mill stoner story is simply Klaus’ ability to embrace the weirdest and most disorienting moments of a drug trip. Someone in the distance is telling us they can’t feel anything, then like a flash of lightning, we are talking with an all-seeing alien god. The alien god is talking about robots, or something; it doesn’t really matter because its over in a split second and we’re waking up in a field. What the hell just happened?

Off Grid #1
Written by Plaid Klaus
Illustrated by Plaid Klaus
Colored by Plaid Klaus
Lettered by Plaid Klaus
Cover by Plaid Klaus
Mind Comics
Release Date: April 15, 2013
Cover Price: $2.50

Mind Comics, an indie comic book publisher, just released Off Grid #1. Written and illustrated by creator Plaid Klaus (Klaus Shmidheiser), Off Grid is the tale of a band of “Resistance” fighters, strategically trying to survive on the outskirts of society. With such an interesting premise, was Klaus able to follow through in his storytelling?

When all electricity failed and the country went “dark,” the frightened citizens of the United States latched onto rumors of nuclear war and attacks from outside forces. It wasn’t until the government was able to turn the grid back on that they released information to their citizens regarding the true cause of the blackout: domestic terrorism. Citizens were then forced to live in the major cities of the country and anyone who left the confines of the guarded living zones would be considered terrorists. A small group of people who refer to themselves as “The Resistance” live off the grid, avoiding the government’s militaristic rule.