So many costumes, so many interviews, so much drinking that we had to go long with this one. Featuring Stephen Lindsay, Andrew Cohen, Matt Dembicki, John Bintz, RM Rhodes, Eric Morin, Chris Piers, Paul Westover, Shawn Padraic-Murphy, Evan Keeling, J.G. Jones, Steve Lieber, Neil Vokes, Tommy Castillo, Jeff McComsey, Jim8Ball, Steve Becker, Kate Glasheen, Don Rosa, Sergio Aragones, Mike Raicht, Keith Dallas, David Petersen, G.I. Joe, and many others. And a parade of costumes! So big, we brought in a second camera man!

Just a reminder that we’ll be at the Baltimore Comic-Con this weekend selling our usual brand of awesome comics, and giving away free copies of MAGIC BULLET.

Here is where you will find us:

Come on out and say hello, or better yet, give us your money.

For other tour dates, check out the tourdates section on this site.

For more info on the Baltimore Comic-Con, go here: http://www.baltimorecomiccon.com/

Between this current FUBAR and this upcoming FUBAR, I reckon I can never go back to making this old FUBAR ever again.

Not that I was going to, seeing as how I have cannibalized the strip for Plastic Farm…

Rafer and Nan head on up to Philly for one of the hottest (literally) little shows of the year. Awesome people, a hell of an aesthetic, and good times. Featuring Cheese Hasselberger, Bill Roundy, and a special appearance by Pete Stathis.

With the aesthetic that each artist would take advantage of the larger format, MAGIC BULLET was born.

Since the initial idea was first bandied about, at least a dozen other artist groups have put out their own newspapers, but ours is still quite awesome.

Featuring a cover by artist and designer extrordinaire Scott White!

And with comics by tens of the finest Washington DC area comic book artists

MAGIC BULLET is sure to entertain, enlighten and offend!

MAGIC BULLET will be available in limited quantities at the Philadelphia Alternative Comic Con and at Baltimore Comicon, and in greater numbers at this year’s Small Press Expo. It will also be avalable in various local comic shops, clubs and eateries. If you are a local comics shop, club or eatery and would like to distribute (or advertise in future issues of) MAGIC BULLET, please email eic@magicbulletcomics.com

On August 8th, we will be at the Philly Alternative Comic Con, and you can find more info about the show here.

But, what I really want to show you is this:

We’ll be selling a limited number of these prints at the show. Probably gonna print up no more than 20, so if you want one, get there early.

In other news, Indy Comic Review has finished reviewing the first 12 issues of Plastic Farm. You can read the review for #12 right here. Search the site for the other reviews, and read about some other worthy comics while you’re there.

The DC Conspiracy group has an exhibit going on at the MLK LIbrary in Washington DC featuring comic pages from many group members, including Rafer Roberts of PLASTIC FARM fame. A few of the pages featured are from the upcoming DC Conspiracy newspaper, MAGIC BULLET, which Rafer will be talking about more in the days and weeks ahead. This podcast features an actual interview with Rafer as he discusses the origins of Nightmare the Rat.

Watch the video, then go out to the library to see the exhibit in person!

http://dcconspiracy.com

There will be an intimate opening this Monday (July 12th) from 6-8 pm. I’m told that the library is quite close to the Gallery Place / Chinatown Metro stop, so please come on out. Even if you can’t make the opening, the exhibit will be going on for a few weeks.

For more info, here is the official Facebook page. Hope to see you there!

There are links to each of the video podcasts now for easier viewing, as well as the addition of a Tourstop.

On August 8th, we will be at the Philadelphia Alternative Comic Con. It’s a pretty cool little show with some really awesome cartoonists. I’m glad to have managed to get a table this year. Check out their website here.

Also, fat Rafer dances for your amusement.

http://www.plasticfarm.com
http://www.comicbookjones.com
http://www.maljones.com

http://www.comicbookjones.com for directions and such.

Here is the Facebook event page.

The second part of our HeroesCon trip. It’s Sunday and Rafer is way too hungover to sell any books, so he walks around and talks to a bunch of comics creators. Interviews with Chris Sims (INVINCIBLE SUPER-BLOG, a ton of other stuff), Chad Bowers (MONSTER PLUS, another ton of additional things), Brad Guigar (EVIL, INC.), Jim Rugg (AFRODISIAC, STREET ANGEL, PLAIN JANES), Steve Lieber (WHITEOUT, UNDERGROUND), Joel Watson (HIJINKS ENSUE), and KIRBY KRACKLE’s Jim Demonakos and Kyle Stevens.

And then we drive home.

Rafer was interviewed by Comic Related during HeroesCon.

Plastic Farm gets a nice shout-out from our friend Johanna Carlson at Comics Worth Reading.

For the past few months, IndyComicsReview has been reviewing the early issues of Plastic Farm. As noted earlier in my life, I enjoy these types of reviews where I get to watch confusion turn to understanding (with side trips into frustration and anger). He’s up to issue ten so far, but here are links to each of the reviews.
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten

TRICKSTER, the anthology put together by Plastic Farm friend and artist Matt Dembicki (and featuring a cover by our very own Jake Warrenfeltz) got a pretty cool segment on NPR last week. They also posted the pages of “How Wildcat Caught a Turkey” with a voiceover by storyteller Joseph Stands With Many. Check it out.

And then, of course, there is this:

We shot a ton of footage and had to split this show over two episodes. This first part features all three nights of drinking, interviews with David Gallaher (HIGH MOON) and Nathan Fox (PIGEONS FROM HELL), the S.C.A.D. panel on how to draw children and animals with June Brigman, and the “In Conversation” panel with Jill Thompson and Evan Dorkin discussing their book BEASTS OF BURDEN.

Plus a whole lot more!

Heroes is a huge show and there are a lot of cool folks in attendance. Check out the official site for more info.

Here is where we will be sitting:

http://www.plasticfarm.com
http://www.fanaticon.org/
http://www.spookyco.com/
http://www.jchriscampbell.com/
http://bobby-nash-news.blogspot.com/
http://www.liquiddragontattoo.com/

Question, comments? rafer@plasticfarm.com

On May 22nd, Plastic Farm Press will be attending the first ever WINDUP COMICS FEST in Baltimore Maryland. It is being held at the Windup Space from 2pm-7pm and should be awesome. For more info, please visit the official site. Here is a map of where we will be set up:

See you there!

Click on the image to make it readable.

For more information on what should be an excellent show, please visit the official site: http://www.fanaticon.org/

See you there!

http://www.plasticfarm.com
http://www.beyondcomics.com
http://www.girlswithslingshots.com
http://www.fistofjustice.com
http://www.alternacomics.com
http://sonofdavinci.deviantart.com
http://www.jonahofthesea.com
http://www.legionofdudes.com
http://www.adamumak.com

Featuring:
Stephen Hines
Matt Dembicki
Ben Steckler
Jim Rugg
J. Kevin Carrier
Nate Higley
Max Ink
Mike and Blair Kitchen
and MANY MORE!

http://www.backporchcomics.com/space.htm
http://www.stephenhines.org/
http://threecrowspress.blogspot.com/
http://www.jimrugg.com/
http://natehigley.com/
http://www.possumpress.com/
http://www.ultraist.net/
http://avltheatre.info/MaxBlog
http://www.plasticfarm.com
viewer email can be sent to rafer@plasticfarm.com (please put “podcast” in the subject line) I may answer and respond to any or all emails sent in.

Anyway, here is where we will be set up at S.P.A.C.E.

and, most importantly, here is what we will have for sale:

This features comics that won’t be online till we resume transmission in June. We’ll put this up for sale thru the site once we get home from the show, and we’ll put a downloadable version up on DriveThru as well. Retailers can contact Tony Shenton.

As always, we’ll be shooting some video for the next World Tour podcast which you can subscribe to via a bunch of links to your right.

Thanks!

Also, keeping my fingers crossed that posting a YouTube video won’t trigger iTunes into thinking this is a podcast…

Click on the above banner to check it out. There are a few free previews so you can test out what Plastic Farm will look like on your netbook or laptop or iPad or whatever.

Thanks, and happy downloading!

Filmed on location.

http://www.emeraldcitycomicon.com/
http://www.plasticfarm.com
viewer email can be sent to rafer@plasticfarm.com (please put “podcast” in the subject line) I may answer and respond to any or all emails sent in.

It’s going to be a calf piece, the Reverend being the overlap into The Thixotrope. Having never designed a tattoo this detailed, I’m a tad hesitant to ink this before discussing with the tattooist herself. In any case, it might make a cool podcast of him getting this done.

I will post more details and updates as they become available.

As such, in true Spinal Tap spirit, we are ALL THE WAY IN THE BACK.

Click on the map for a larger version:

Along with the normal table monkeys of Nan and myself, we will also have a few special guests along for the ride. I’ll talk more about that later.

For now, go buy your tickets!

http://www.emeraldcitycomicon.com/

The First Real Episode. Rafer, Nan, and special guest Jessi Reid head down to The Sign of The Whale in Washington DC to drink with local comic group DC Conspiracy and learn more about the upcoming graphic anthology TRICKSTER (available June 2010 from Fulcrum). Interviews with TRICKSTER editor and creator Matt Dembicki and artists Michael Auger, Chris Piers, Andrew Cohen, and Evan Keeling. Plus: why Aquaman is cool by Julian Lytle. Also: drinking. Dark and grainy lo-fi video podcasting at its finest.

http://www.dcconspiracy.com
http://www.fulcrum-books.com
http://www.plasticfarm.com

So, without further ado: TEETH, by Rafer Roberts.

Please feel free to check out the rest of Vis A Tergo while you’re there. It’s a pretty cool site.

Alex over at Indy Comic Review has undertaken the task of reviewing the single issues of Plastic Farm on what should be a bi-weekly basis. The first two are up and I am told the the review of issue 3 will be up this Thursday.

Check it out: http://indycomicreview.com/

Subcribe to the Plastic Farm Video Podcast in iTunes by clicking here!

Or, if you prefer a client other than iTunes for your podcasts, click HERE for other options. (Note: this is the same feed you can put in your RSS reader to subscribe to the non-podcast portions of this site.)

Enjoy!

The Zero Episode. Rafer tests out the new video camera and does a real quick rundown of what this video podcast will entail.

March 13-14 Emerald City Comicon,Seattle WA

April 24-25 S.P.A.C.E., Columbus OH

May 1 FCBD, Beyond Comics, Frederick MD

May 15 Fanaticon, Asheville NC

June 4-6 Heroes Con, Charlotte NC

June 19 Comic Book Jones, Staten Island NY

August 28-29 Baltimore Comic-Con, Baltimore MD (unconfirmed but likely)

September 11-12 Small Press Expo, Bethesda MD

October 8-10 New York Comic Con, New York NY (very unconfirmed)

October 23 DC Conspiracy Counter Culture Fest, RFD Washington DC

November 20-21 VA Comicon, Richmond, VA (unconfirmed)

December Speeding Bullet Comics, Norman OK (exact date unconfirmed)

More dates to come?

Art by Matt Dembicki

Art by Matt Dembicki

Art by Matt Dembicki

Art by Matt Dembicki

Art by Matt Dembicki

SIMMONS: SO MARTY STARTS DRIVING DOWN SOME SIDE ROAD PAST DEVELOPMENTS AND FAMILY HOUSES AND I START LAUGHING SAYING THAT IT’S KINDA STRANGE THAT THE MESSIAH OPENED A PORTAL TO HEAVEN IN THE MIDDLE OF SUBURBIA

SIMMONS: AND MARTY LAUGHS AND TELLS ME THAT I SHOULD GO FUCK MYSELF AND THAT I SHOULD QUIT BADMOUTHING MIRACLES AND THAT BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO HERETICS LIKE MYSELF

Coming soon to a space on the internet.

http://panelpatter.blogspot.com/2009/10/plastic-farm-volume-1-sowing-seeds-on.html

This is one of the absolutely best written and incredibly positive reviews of Plastic Farm I have ever read. It is obvious when reading it that the dude Gets It. I mean, check out this excerpt:

“Rather than give the reader a linear progression through the story, Roberts brilliantly skips all over the place, letting us put together the pieces over the course of about 300 pages of comics. This causes some head-scratching here and there (I’m still not so sure about how the hungry cannibals fit in) but in return gives the reader a rewarding chance to engage himself in the material. Several times, I found myself saying, “Wait a minute, isn’t that so-and-so from an earlier chapter?” and going back to look. It’s at those moments where the story really shines and shows that Roberts knows exactly what he’s planning and how he wants to reveal it.”

So go and read the full review at the above link and, since “Trebro” obviously has good taste, check out his other reviews and get learned about some other good books.

And, as a reminder, PLASTIC FARM: SOWING SEEDS ON FERTILE SOIL (and all other Plastic Farm books) is available for purchase right here and in better comic shops nationwide.

Here is a handy-dandy map of where we will, as well as a few friends and fellow DC Conspiracy folks:

Apologies to any of my friends that I have missed from this map. Let me know who I’ve forgotten and I’ll add them.

SPX ‘09 Rafer and Nan Roberts

Thanks to Adam for laughing that off.

Here is the link.

But these are my favorites:

First is this: http://www.bleedingcool.com/2009/09/26/a-little-pre-look-at-spx/

For some reason I was pretty alive (not hungover for the first time ever at an SPX) at 7 am Saturday morning and decided to go ahead and get the table set up. Turns out that I was the only person who had that idea and so got the headline picture at Bleeding Cool. I pretty much abandoned the table for the next two hours while I went and showered and then had breakfast with fellow DC Conspirator Mal Jones, but I do like the impression that Rich was giving that I was open for business two hours before the show started.

I’m not entirely sure that having the picture up resulted in any At The Show sales, but I am pretty happy with the exposure nonetheless.

Second: http://www.bleedingcool.com/2009/09/26/spx-the-dc-conspiracy-table/

The Crime Anthology. You want to buy this. I’ve got some copies available that I will be selling at the Baltimore Comic Con coming up early next month, but you can also get them here: http://store.comixpress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1498&zenid=i4jfqcgl3a1n6tsbmqlu81b8l5

More stuff, including pictures, later.

And, reminding again that Plastic Farm Press will be at SPX this weekend in Bethesda MD. Swing by. Say hi. Give us your money.

Posted without comment:

NEW COMIC FRIDAY!

(Also, we’ll be at SPX this weekend. Check it: http://www.spxpo.com )

New comic Friday!

New comic on Friday! (Then on Tuesdays and Thursdays.)

This is where we will be:

As you may notice, we are part of the DC Conspiracy Row (which is an imposing force this year). There are a ton of awesome comic makers and Artists joining our row. Here is the print by Mal Jones.

But enough about that. Here is what we will have for sale.

Awesome.

Come see us at SPX this weekend.

http://www.spxpo.com

Issue #16 contains comics THAT HAVE NOT YET BEEN POSTED ONLINE!!!

I will start shipping them out after SPX (which is this upcoming weekend).

Don’t see that giant “BUY” tab at the top of your screen? Then click here.

And, as a reminder, new Plastic Farm comics on 09.25!

I am sad to say that this stupidity has inspired an upcoming subplot in Plastic Farm, though it’s a highly indirect inspiration.

Anyway, before we get to a new image, please be aware that we will resume with new comics on SEPTEMBER 25! That’s only a few weeks away.

We’ll be broadcasting Tuesday and Thursday for eleven weeks, and then there will be another hiatus. Then there will be more news.

But for now:

This is a work sketch for something that may or may not (but probably will) be a major part of Plastic Farm. Eventually.

The one on top, I feel, is much more of an accurate drawing.

While the new print comics are still not yet available in the store, I did want to show off the next sets of covers. Long time Plastic Farm readers may notice that I have gone in a different direction designing these covers for Seasons of Growth as opposed to the first 12 print comics that made up Sowing Seeds on Fertile Soil. You should expect a different thematic device for Part Three when that comes around.

Anyway, the next few covers. Click on each to make them bigger:

In case you’re wondering, I have about 12 more covers worth of landscape already set up.

And, lest I forget, though I have a small backlog of reader letters and emails for publication in the letters column I can always use more. If you like or dislike Plastic Farm enough to put your emotions into email form, you can send those emails to rafer at plasticfarm dot com.

Thanks!

Apparently I doodle at work, while waiting for my proofs to print out.

And a random doodle of some anorexic girl wearing, apparently, a hospital gown:

Most of my story ideas are originally in this form, i.e. a random phrase or two written on a scrap of paper on which are sometimes written small grocery lists or small drawings of monsters. I think this was going to be a children’s book all about a mother teaching her child how to poop in a toilet. A fable about potty training wherein the example of a cat using a litter box is used to inspire a small child to stop crapping its pants.

Not quite sure what the sequel would have been about. Overcoming constipation, perhaps?

I thought these to be stupid stories at the time, but revisiting them now I can see some merit in them and may return to this…

In an effort to prove to you all during this down time that I am indeed working, I have set up a channel on Ustream making videos of me drawing. Honestly it’s probably like watching paint dry, but if you’re interested there are a few saved videos up right now. I don’t have a set schedule for when I’ll be broadcasting (is that even the right word?) but I do announce my…Ustreaming though my Twitter account.

Here is the Plastic Farm Ustream page: http://www.ustream.tv/channel/plastic-farm—watch-rafer-draw

Here is my Twitter: http://twitter.com/plasticfarm

Here is a video of me inking some backgrounds while Season 1 of 24 plays in the background.

Suggestions on what you would like to see on Plastic Farm TV would be greatly appreciated.

A drawing of The Thixotrope by Chris Piers. This, if I’m remembering correctly, was drawn at a Rasputina show at the Black Cat in DC a few months ago. Not much more to say about this other than that I really like this sketch which is why I hung onto it.

Chris is a co-host of the podcast Television Zombies which you really should listen to.

This is probably the very first drawing I ever did of our friend, The Thixotrope. This version more closely resembles the children’s toy that he was originally based on. I like the creepiness of this version but am glad that he evolved into a more chubby and cuddly version.

Also, the sketch of the first page of Chapter Six. Note the measurements written in the margins, as this was the first comic I was drawing at standard comic size and I thought it might be nice to get the ratio correct.