ComicCritique.com Gives a Nod to The Act-i-vate Primer!

Louis from ComicCritique.com, who I met at Baltimore Comic Con, had this delightful little blog post to report on The Act-i-vate Primer! Thanks, Louis!

Here it is in its entirety:

The ACT-I-VATE Primer is now available from IDW Publishing in a beautiful, densely-packed hardbound volume. The Primer is an anthology of never-before-read comics by the creators who can be found at act-i-vate.com, the “webcomix collective.” IDW’s online preview of the book is easy to read and shows the vast diversity contained in the pages. I was explicitly told that while these same strips and characters have a presence online, the stories in the book cannot be found in 1s and 0s, only on paper. I’ll be getting this one added to my pull list, but if you’re interested you can find it online or ask your preferred bookseller.

CBR and The Act-i-vate Experience

Comic Book Resources' Jim Gibbons has written a comprehensive report on the debut of Seth Kushner's and Carlos Molina's The Act-i-vate Experience at the Act-i-vate Panel at Baltimore Comic Con. Here's an excerpt:

Beginning with a montage of art from ACT-I-VATE, the film is segmented into three parts, each of which is filled with testimonials from more than 20 of the ACT-I-VATE creators. The first chapter acts as an introduction, where the many faces you'll be hearing from introduce themselves and their diverse, signature ACT-I-VATE work. The second part explains the origins of ACT-I-VATE and why the different creators enjoy the format of their collective, while also discussing the benefits that go along with the online medium and its readership. The final part of the video highlights "The ACT-I-VATE Primer," during which Haspiel explains that the primer is a great introduction for comic fans who haven't checked out the site, while containing entirely original content that can't be found online, so folks who have been keeping up with all ACT-I-VATE has to offer can get a new fix in print form.

Click here to read the rest!

The Act-i-vate Primer's First Review…

…and it comes courtesy of the Graphic NYC blog. Jared Gniewek has penned a wonderful review. Here's an excerpt:

The ACT-I-VATE Primer is a collection of 16 all new stories by the stars of the ACT-I-VATE.com universe. Reading the whole volume in one sitting leaves one wondering what makes it a collective. It takes a minute to see because the styles are so varied but I felt that the connective tissue between each of the creators was larger than simply putting their comics online under the same umbrella.

When taken together it feels like a manifesto for the future of comics. Not as abstract as some of the creators out there, but not simple story driven either. It achieves equilibrium between fantasy and love of fantasy. This is where the form has come to at this point in history and this primer represents where it is going.

Not middle of the road either. These artists are taking the best from high and low brow comics to create intelligent, fun, and readable comics stories that know exactly what they are.

These kids know how to make comics. From the classical lines of Tim Hamilton to the sweetly simple natural curve of Mike Dawson, the styles are as varied as they come. On an individual basis the stories tend towards excellence. Tastes vary but I can honestly say that depending on the reader I could recommend each of the stories in it.

And that's but a little taste. Click here to read the rest of the review and don't forget to make time to visit your local comic book shop because The Act-i-vate Primer ships today!

This Weekend! Baltimore Comic-Con!

The weekend is nearly upon us and with it comes Baltimore Comic-Con! Attendees will want to check out (and hopefully purchase) a copy of the newly released Act-i-vate Primer! It's a great opportunity to get it before it's official release date of 10/14 and have it signed and personalized by a number of Act-i-vate creators. Mike Cavallaro, Jim Dougan, Michel Fiffe, Simon Fraser, Dean Haspiel, Jennifer Hayden and myself will all be there! But, that's not all!

Also premiering this weekend during the Act-i-vate panel on Sunday, October 11th is the Act-i-vate Experience documentary. Here are the details:

2:00-3:30 The ACT-I-VATE Experience Members from ACT-I-VATE, the premiere webcomix collective, featuring Dean Haspiel, Mike Cavallaro, Jennifer Hayden, Tim Hamilton, Joe Infurnari, Simon Fraser, Kat Roberts, Michel Fiffe, and Jim Dougan, will discuss their new print anthology, THE ACT-I-VATE PRIMER (which debuts at the show), and will also debut, "The ACT-I-VATE Experience," a 32-minute documentary produced by Culture Pop Productions' Seth Kushner (Graphic NYC) and Carlos Molina.

See you there!