FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 08 02:02

Themes of identity, loneliness, homelessness, heredity, of finding our place in life, our perceptions of our selves, of others--basic ingredients of the human condition--are explored in Revolver, the new ongoing comic book from Salgood Sam, also known as Canadian artist Max Douglas.

A collection of short works and the first instalments of longer ongoing stories by Salgood Sam with guest authors a.j.duric and John O`Brien, RevolveR is at times introspective, melancholic and hopeful in its pursuit of truth and understanding.

A vehicle for telling stories, RevolveR is also a test-bed for the medium of Sequential Art and dedicated to stretching the artform through the refinement of old techniques and development of new ones. Hopefully in the process helping to expand the syntax and structure of sequential narrative art.

“I think there are is a great deal of room for growth in the medium; That is consistently still one of the most exciting aspects of working in it – the amount of outer-space left to explore.

Writing as a craft is just starting to be given the sort of attention it deserves in the North American comics community; as their status as a true form of literature as well as art is increasingly acknowledged by the general public. And I see many avenues for development in the visual component of comics, especially from the perspective of narrative and symbolic values. Currently I’ve been giving a lot of thought to the use of the page, as a whole. Tearing down walls as it were, especially the ones we call panels.

While they are efficient at times and excel at lending a regular rhythm to the story, the grid like use of space found in most comics is one of the less expressive ways I can think of to convey a story, and does not entirely faithfully represent the world as I experience it. So I’ve been experimenting with opening up the page and exploring what I think are more both subtle and dramatic ways to lead the readers eye around the space and into the stories. I take a lot of cues from poetry and music in this, having found a great deal in common I think between the forms in this area.

It’s true as you may have read by now, that comics can be one of the slowest and most time consuming methodical ways you can choose to tell stories, but I don’t think I’m bound to ever get board exploring the mediums’ potential.”

Bio

A veteran of 15+ years Max has worked off and on in the mainstream comics industry for Marvel and DC, landing his first job at 21 on Clive Barkers’ serialized Night Breed comic and going on to work on numerous high profile titles as a freelance artist [see www.salgoodsam.com for a full bibliography]. The quest for better stories, more rewarding work and greater control over content eventually led him to all but abandon the mainstream comics world in the mid nineties. He’s continued to work on occasion as a hired gun for DC & Marvel as well as other major publishers, taking on one or two small jobs a year as part of a larger diet of editorial illustration, poster art, painting, graphic design, prop - character and set design. Meanwhile all his spare time over the last 8 years has been spent working on writing and refining a visual voice for himself and developing the skills needed to be a complete comics creator. He’s contributed to a number of recent comics anthologies, small press publications and web zines, as well as being active in the Montreal Comix community as an organizer and sometimes reporter through his comics news blog Sequential.

Salgood Sam’s RevolveR represents a coming out of sorts. The first volley of a creator who has found his stride and is ready to share the results with the world.



RevolveЯ : an ongoing personal anthology.
Contents of Vol. One
Pg 2-12: Pin City: An introductory short character sketch, part one of a longer work titled Bliss.
Pg 13: A night at the bar: An imagined sequential study of Casa del Popolo in Montreal.
Pg 14-29: The Rise And Fall Of It All; Act 1- A Cube with a view. The fist Instalment of a Graphic Novel adaptation of composer John O'Brien's experimental audio play. Visit www.rise-fall.com to listen to the audio.
Pg 30-37: Misplaced. A silent narrative based on a dream. The search for something lost.
Pg 38: A portrait of Sandra
Pg 39-44: HelpLess: A short story about escaping mortality based on a script by a.j.duric.
Pg 45-46: Poems and sketches.
Pg 47-50: Where the wild things went. A short sequential poem inspired by my late 20's and my favourite children's book, Maurice Sendak's Where the wild things are.
Pg 51: Nature vs. Nurture?
Pg 52: A note from Max.

52 pages, B&W interiors [Previews available on web site], two colour silk-screened covers on Black cover stock. A limited first edition of 700. The first 100 will be numbered. Available online @ revolvercomix.com by mail order - $4.95 us, $6.95 can + shipping

You can buy RevolveЯ Vol One from Salgood Sam in person at the Canadian National Comic Book Expo august 27-29th

Copies are available in Toronto at the Beguiling, pages books & the Silver Snail

Fichtre, F52, Mojo, Monastiraki and Millennium in Montreal.

They will also be available at The Monthly Montreal Comix Jams.

Shop owners: Contact us about ordering this book for your store directly from spiltink