REVIEWS FOR 66 THOUSAND MILES PER HOUR
(for reviews for PARADE (WITH FIREWORKS) click here)
Kamikaze Words
www.kamikazewords.com
66 Thousand Miles Per Hour
Issues #0 and #1
32 pages, color, b&w
True Believers Press
3 Adjectives:
slick, effective, fun
The long-standing relationship between punk rock and comic books is nothing new
– plenty of common cultural elements are shared by these two forms of cultural
expression. And as two genres once almost exclusively the domain of nerds, both
comics and punk rock have undeniably fused themselves well into the forefront
of what people think is cool. After all, where would we be without the new Punisher
movie, or Sum 41? Given the environment, a comic book like 66 Thousand Miles Per
Hour seems right on time.
The book itself is stylized while remaining accessible, involving alien intelligences,
super powers, and over-the-top characters suited perfectly to their comic book
world. The reader follows Evie Price as she tries to navigate her high-school
existence. When weird stuff starts to happen in Evie’s boring New Jersey
town, her life goes from un-inspired to unpredictable almost at once.
Although the prequel issue (#0) popped with spot-on coloring, the book’s
black and white presentation is one of a number of elements that contribute to
a certain no-bullshit feel – one that makes 66kMPH move very naturally. Writer
and artist Michael Cavallaro has a talent for focusing on the things that make
good comics happen – interesting characters and plots, motion, and more than
anything else, expression. The result is solid, effective storytelling. It’s
a strong showing for Cavallaro’s first real project.
Themes found in 66kMPH – like alienation, separation, and overall social
disconnectedness - echo the music with which Cavallaro has been involved for years.
Also known as Johnny X, he played in Sticks and Stones, Zero Zero, and Johnny
X and the Conspiracy. Over time, he’s become something of a punk folk hero,
emerging as a recurring character in the ever-evolving universe of The Bouncing
Souls (which itself often seems to have a comic-book-like continuity); he’s
not only designed some of the Souls’ most recognizable artwork, but has had
songs and records named after him.(See: the "Johnny X" seven inch.)
If the first couple issues of 66kMPH are any indicator, Johnny X might one day
wind up more famous for his comics than for his music. Like the music industry,
the comics industry is flooded with an overabundance of unacceptably awful products,
and so it can often be difficult to find the nuggets of real goodness amongst
the sea of dreck. But Cavallaro’s resume demonstrates that he knows how to
craft a project/product, and 66kMPH is the latest confirmation of his talent.
Beyond all the analysis, 66kMPH is a great read. It has a fantasy/adventure story
line, but still retains a distinct earthiness; things can get cartoonish, but
they’re never corny. Certain plot devices hint at serious themes, but everything
is blended in so evenly that nothing seems over-done; this helps to lend realness
to an otherwise fantastical story. Overall, 66kMPH is refreshing and entertaining.
And considering that it’s Cavallaro’s first shot at producing a comic
book, it’s even more impressive.
Poopsheet:Reviews
http://poopsheetreviews.blogspot.com/
Reviews of comics, zines and other independent media
66 THOUSAND MILES PER HOUR #0 & 1
by Mike Cavallaro
(#0 is $5.50, #1 is $3.50, from Chunksaah Records)
Review by Steve Keeter
This is an incredible and incredibly wonderful comic, the story of an entire town
abducted by aliens and... What? Well, yes, and even my wife had this to say: "that's
been done before." True enough, but thus far the focus isn't on the sf theme
that forms the series basis, but rather, and very successfully, on the characters
who inhabit the town. In #0, an issue in gorgeous full color, creator Michael
Cavallaro introduces us to Evie Pryce, a discontented teenager stuck in the appropriately
named town of Squareville, New Jersey, and her family and friends, her two-timing
boyfriend, a couple of wacky hitmen, a shady sideshow promoter, and a town mayor
with a skeleton in his closet. Each and every character is an intriguing story
in his/herself, and this issue only hints at the changes they are all to go through
as a giant glowing pyramid spacecraft descends on the town.
#1 is all in black and white (except the standout front cover), and at first seems
to suffer from this, but any doubts are quickly forgotten as the story takes off
again, even faster and more exciting than in the first issue. It's action-packed,
mind-boggling, and pleasantly humorous all at the same time, and Cavallaro's cartoony
approach to the artwork lends a slight tongue-in-cheek touch to the proceedings
that is highly effective. I found myself wanting more, and it is hoped that this
comic will be able to maintain the announced quarterly publication schedule.
Sheesh, there aren't too many comics that one can really rave about these days.
I think 66 Thousand Miles Per Hour qualifies. An A+ work.
Bandoppler Magazine
66,000 MPH #0
MIKE CAVALLARO
Reviewed by Chris Estey
Evie Pryce wants to get out of her small town in New Jersey really, really bad.
She works a crappy booth job at a carnival, her mook friends don’t sympathize
with her restlessness and are keeping things from her—and most dramatically,
her boyfriend, who is the lead singer of Big Scarf, the only band at school, is
pretty much a scoundrel.
As her bad luck story unfolds through betrayal and a horrible accident in front
of a lot of people, other stories seem to be cooking—Big Sal and Little Sal
are coming into town to settle a score with the owner of the carnival, the mayor’s
duplicitous sex life is only part of his problem, and a famous historical heroine
has just materialized in Evie’s room to set the scene for the next installment,
which will be the first actual issue of the title.
Yes, it’s cheesy, silly fun, and though it’s got cliches and seems contrived
in balancing the fantastic elements with the realistic ones, the characters are
enjoyable and the scripting excellent, with the transitions between scenes handled
effectively—making the reader want to find out what happens next. Evie is
a compelling protagonist, but I have the feeling that other characters will emerge
to tug the story in all sorts of directions as it goes on.
Evie’s nefarious boyfriend Bradley could be someone you already know—in
fact, I'm pretty sure I actually DO know him!—though his character here must
be at least a little exaggerated for dramatic effect, if you know what I mean.
The art is similar to the writing in that it is well crafted, while awfully familiar
to other works as well. Cavallaro is great at caricature, though, and background
characters like Evie’s friends are drawn with subtle distinction. The layouts
are all highly professional, and the attractive coloring in this 32-page comic
makes me wish the series wasn’t planned for B&W format.
Some of you may know Michael Cavallaro as Johnny X, who sang and played guitar
in the bands Sticks & Stones and Zero Zero. If this is his first time out
as a comic book creator, I’m impressed, and from his talents, willing to
follow 66KMPH to see where it’s going.
Addendum:
66,000 MPH #1
MIKE CAVALLARO
Reviewed by Jason Dodd
In my opinion, black & white doesn't really hurt this series like Chris feared.
In fact, it actually seems to add weight and depth to the tone. It also helps
that we're given here a clearer understanding of the situation being created for
Evie Pryce and the town of Squareville, New Jersey (issue #0 being quite cryptic).
Placing Evie in an odd amalgamation of sci-fi, crime noir, and Silver Surfer comics
scenarios, Cavallaro does a good job of creating believable tension and doubt
in whether the reluctant heroine will do ... anything. You know, follow her "destiny,"
accept her "great responsibility with great power," etc. It's a story
that thus far feels really familiar, but I agree with Chris that Cavallaro's ability
for peculiar character development keeps one engaged and even guessing, not to
mention that there are enough subplots and subtexts being balanced to pique and
keep our interest.
It also feels like the story will at any moment take a twist beyond its initial
premise. That's what I'm hoping for anyway -- and it really needs to do so --
but I'm definitely hooked at this point.
Almost Normal Comics
http://members.tripod.com/almostnormalcomics/id260.htm
Issue #0: 32 pages, size, color interior, professional. Issue #1: 32 pages,
size, professional. Somewhere in New Jersey there's this place called Squareville.
In Squareville there're a bunch of bored teens dreaming about being somewhere
else and doing something different. There are also a couple of Wise Guys with
plans of their own. Then there's Evie, your typical teenage girl with a bratty
kid brother, oblivious parents, and a date with destiny. After witnessing an
emotionally disturbing event Evie receives a shock that leaves her bedridden
until a sword toting aberration visits her. Soon an alien traveling in a flying
pyramid claims a portion of Squareville and inanimate objects come to life!
This looks like a neat story with lots of potential. The artwork is polished
and reminds me of a Saturday morning cartoon. And all the characters are developed
in just enough detail to provide an understanding of their motivations, but
still leaving a little bit of uncertainty to throw in twists!
BIBLIOTHEQUE REVIEWS
http://www.lunar-circuitry.net/bibliotheque/reviews11-12-04.html
66 Thousand Miles Per Hour #0, A4 size, 32p
The slick, professional look of this indie comic differs from many zines and
indie comics, but it shares the same independent spirit, so is worth discussing.
Meant as a prologue to #1, this full color comic with glossy pages tells the
story of punkish, Evie Price, who’s stuck in New Jersey and miserable.
To make matters worse, she discovers her boyfriend is cheating on her with her
best friend. All this would be typical teen soap opera fodder were it not for
the circus freaks, invading aliens, and a ghost named Joan. This stuff is surprisingly
funny and complex. Michael Cavallaro’s artwork is a unique blend of underground
individualism and retro-style. For those who love indie comics, this is definitely
one to keep an eye on!66 Thousand Miles Per Hour #1, A4 size, 36p
The adventures of Evie Pryce continue, and the plot thickens as a mysterious
spaceman threatens to destroy the town of Squareville, New Jersey. Predictably,
the town goes wild, but the content of this indie comic is anything but predictable.
While her artwork comes to life and a ghost bugs her about responsibility, our
heroin tries to unravel the mysteries surrounding her. With its beautiful black
and white art and odd mix of teen melodrama and science fiction, this comic
is worth a look.
--AR
ZINE THUG
http://www.zinethug.com/
66 Thousand Miles Per Hour #0
She's cynical. She's intense. She's got a bandage on her knee. She hangs tough
in the face of social humiliation, and before day's end, she convenes with the
supernatural. Everything seems so huge when you're a teenager, and so shitty.
I wonder if you have to preserve that feeling to write a believable teen protag,
or if you write teen protags because that feeling never fully dissolves. The
gent behind this sleek comic book succeeded either way, and I hope it was worth
it. This issue comes with a CD, which Marc kept. No hard feelings, boyo; between
her carnival job, her philandering beau and her friend no one else sees, I doubt
our Evie has time to nurture interesting musical taste. Reviewed by Emerson
Dameron. [$5.50, glossy comic book, colored]