Independent Propaganda

Reviewed by Matt Butcher / Writer for Independent Propaganda

Featuring the talents of: Radames Malave Jr., Justin Riley, Joel J. Cotejar, Alan Evans, Jason DeGroot, Giuseppe Pica, Dan Head, John Ruiz

Some great new talent surfaces at Workshed Studio. Stylish new artists have an outlet and are showcasing some great stuff.

These are black and white books. One can only imagine some of the art displayed in a color book to be intensely terrific. Some of the black and white pages, especially by artists Joel T. Cotejar and Giuseppe Pica, really use the elements well and are a joy to look at. Cotejar’s is exactly the way I picture Lovecraft stories in my head. John Ruiz’ art also is terrific, highlighting a wonderful cartooning ability reminiscent of the Justice League and Batman cartoons.

The stories, however, suffer from being broken up into different books. The reader, in order to maintain memory of a single story, especially with some of the new concepts and characters, simply must read one story and then pick up the continuation in the next books, and then go read the next story. All the chapters of each series seem to be broken up at odd points. I wish each story was secluded to its own book instead of serialized. The stories are quite good when read as a whole but I know I am going to have to re-read issues #1-3 in order to enjoy issue #4 when it comes out.

The highlight for me was a self-contained story in issue #1 entitled “Certified” basically about a day off for one of the action heroes. That was very heartfelt and character-driven and really put the book into perspective about telling stories and not just being about action.

If this is the anthology for this company, I want to experience more by them. Save all four issues for an action-packed and good read all at once. There is a lot in store for Workshed Studio and I want to make sure I’m along for the ride.

About The Reviewer: Matt Butcher teaches English in Nome, Alaska. Sometimes as he watches the TV news, he remembers that clever saying from the t-shirt: Beam me up, Scotty, there’s no intelligent life down here. However, he knows intelligence is here on earth and only rarely surfaces. So when he says that something is smart and intelligent, you should probably believe it. Visit his website The Butcher Shop at http://mjb0123.blogspot.com.

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