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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (April 24, 2003)
BY DAVE ROLLAND SERVING DELICIOUS NEW YORK PIZZA Local Boy Done Super Mike Allred among the talented at the Eugene Comic and Collectables Show. iving in Eugene today without reading comic books would be the equivalent of ignoring rock ‘n’roll in 1963 Liverpool. Local comics creator Mike Allred puts that same energy and panache into his work that the Beatles crammed into their music. And while you can’t take a time machine to the Cavern Club, you can go to the Lane County Fairgrounds from 10 am to 5 pm Sunday, April 27 and meet a master of comic art. More than 10 years ago Allred pumped out a comic book called Madman, combining angstful existentialism with yo-yos and superheroes. Each panel Allred drew was reminiscent of a Roy Liechtenstein painting. The plots were filled with humor and a zest for life while the colors were brightly pro- vided by Mike’s wife, Laura. He created a universe filled with aliens, private investiga- tors, and an amnesiac Santa Claus that left readers with a false sense of déjà vu of a Hanna-Barbara cartoon that never existed. With Madman the quality was consistently fantastic, but the quantity of new work be- came unfulfilling. Allred focused on making independent movies, getting a Hollywood production of Madman rolling and doing everything but what made him beloved by strangers: writing and drawing comic books. But at the dawn of the millennium Allred made a New Year’s resolution to stop putzing around. He created a comic book company called AAA Pop Comics, turned the Madman movie over to Robert Rodriguez (director of Spy Kids), and cranked out 15 issues of The Atomics. The Atomics were a group of beatniks turned su- perheroes where Allred continued with his themes of alienation, self-loathing, pop cul- L ture obsession, and the notion that love con- quers all. The characters were distinct and in- triguing while the art always threw amusing jokes into the background. But The Atomics abruptly ended when the big boys of Marvel Comics came knocking at Allred’s door. Allred along with writer Peter Milligan were assigned to revamp a second rate X-Men rip-off called X-Force. Under their new creators X-Force (which is now available monthly but under the name X-Statix) be- came a comic book about people who became superheroes for fame and fortune rather than to help their fellow man. These characters were obsessed with marketability rather than nobility. The superheroes range from Phat, an Eminem wannabe who is now struggling with his ho- mosexuality, to Venus Dee Milo, a young vir- gin (but only because she does not have a physical body), to Mister Sensitive, a charac- ter impaired with acne and hypersensitivity. But fear not, despite their descriptions, these characters are anything but poignant. They are fleshed out and very real but Allred and Milligan remembered this is still a Marvel Comic, so they keep it simple. A comic that teenagers of all ages can enjoy. Allred’s comic books are, like the early Beatles, filled with simple fun and charisma rather than layered with meaning and a desire to change the world. All of Allred’s work, (Madman, The Atomics, X-Force and X-Statix) is compiled in trade paperback or you can attempt to col- lect the original back issues from the many vendors at this Sunday’s comic book conven- tion. And while you’re there you can bug Allred about when the heck we are going to see Madman again. ew -BY THE SLICE AND BY THE WHOLE PIZZA PIE- 11:30AM-MIDNIGHT MON-SAT ★ 3:30PM-MIDNIGHT SUNDAY $ 2.00 OFF COUPONS GOOD UNTIL MAY 8, 2003 ANY 18” LARGE OR 16” MEDIUM PIZZA PLUS 2 FREE 20oz. SODAS 686-9598 10¢ OFF PLUS A SLICE ® 1 FREE 12 OZ. SODA 1211 ALDER ON CAMPUS NEXT TO SACRED HEART HOSPITAL T a s ty Th ai Ki t ch en MAY DAY BALLROOM BLUES Deb Cleveland with the Vipers Bourbon Renewal Eagle Park Slim Band Thursday, May 1 • 8 pm $5/advance • $7/door Upstairs in Vet’s Ballroom 1626 Willamette Street • Eugene Call for reservations: 541-344-8600 T r a di ti o n al Sp e ci al s by Owner and Chef Pismai $2.95 - $7.50 •Vegetarian Menu •Dine In or Take Out 11 am - 9:30 pm Mon - Fri 4 pm - 9:30 pm Sat 12 pm - 9:30 pm Sun 80 E. 29th & Willamette 302-6444 APRIL 24 2003 27
