COMIC AVALANCHE
www.comicavalanche.com
Indy-Pendant
Brant W. Fowler
This week I've shifted gears slightly. Last week I brought you awareness of
a new company on the scene. This time around I'm letting you know about a new
creator, Michael Cavallaro, aka Johnny X!
What made me take notice of Mike's awesome talents was a meek little title called
"66 Thousand Miles Per Hour" from True Believers Press (which I could
find no info on sadly). With a title like that it piqued my interest, so I tried
it out. Yep, it's different alright, but in a good way! The premise is this
teenage girl named Evie is living a normal life in a normal town called Squaresville,
New Jersey (which has a great and humorous explanation within the comic for
the name) where she feels trapped. She has always dreamed of escaping this dreary
existence to explore the world, studying art abroad, living an adventurous,
carefree life. Ultimately she gets her wish, but not the way she expects! During
a typical day in the life of Evie when everything goes wrong in typical teen
fashion, something very adventurous happens. An alien named Ridley abducts the
entire town of Squaresville, ripping it from the earth and hauling it off to
some unknown location. So now Evie is really trapped in this dreary town. To
make matters worse, Evie is being followed around by a ghost named Joan (who
appears to possibly be Joan of Arc) who only she can see. And if things aren't
bizarre enough, Ridley brings Evie's sculptures and other inanimate objects
to life and they start tearing off through the city!
There are many things that make this title so unique. There are several subplots
that make it play out like a comical soap opera. These sub plots also cross
several genres seamlessly, yet keep everything centralized and focused. The
layout of the book is also unique. At times we see whole panel excerpts of Evie's
diary that segue into full scenes, but in an unobtrusive way that doesn't cause
one to lose interest. Mike has also captured the personalities of the many characters
beautifully and flawlessly. And who of us can't relate to the "trapped"
feeling Evie experiences on a daily basis. This story touches you in a fun and
light-hearted, yet exciting way.
Michael Cavallaro didn't only pen this wonderful Indy title, but he also illustrated
it, which is why I focused on the creator rather than the creation. Now there
are several writer/artists out there, but how many do you know that capture
both aspects of the creative process without err? Mike does that. His art style
matches his writing tone masterfully. He has that modern cartoon style similar
to the likes of Humberto Ramos, Adrian Alphona and Randy Green to name a few.
It reflects the tone of the story perfectly. The #0 issue is available on the
website in full color, while issues #1 and #2 are available for mail order.
66kmph isn't the only project he's worked on however. As his Deviant Art site
gives evidence, Mike has adapted and illustrated one of the great classics of
our time, the "Wizard of Oz". Sample pages are available in his Deviant
Art Gallery, and I must say they are beautiful. I haven't had the pleasure to
read his version of the adventures of Dorothy and crew, but if 66kmph is any
indication it's a great read, and we already know it has great art!
And for all you punk music lovers out there, "Mr. X" has been involved
with several bands as a guitarist and collaborator since the early 90's. Such
bands include The Bouncing Souls, Sticks and Stones, Zero Zero, and Johnny X
and the Conspiracy.
So make your own summations about Mr. Cavallaro, but in my opinion he is one
of the up and comers in this wonderful industry we all love. Keep your eyes...and
ears, out for Michael Cavallaro, aka Johnny X!