My fellow Americans. Oh, oops, wrong speech. Hello fellow ORComx APA members. I don't know about you all but I have been so busy this month. Mostly I have been looking for a job, working on a talk for my congregation, and working at my new job.
Speaking of being busy I was talking to Rick Olney the other day and he said that Dave Jacobs, Steve Wameling, and John Salvo are not going to be able to do their present jobs in ORComx. I don't recall if he said whether or not they will continue to be members. However, since Steve is going to Kubert's School of Art I doubt that he'll even have time for that. I for one am as confident as Rick that replacements will be found, and I'm interested in it. First I need to know what is involved (a more detailed description than what is found in the front of the APA). CM sounds like it'd work out for the best from what I know.
So why did I call Rick you might ask? Well, let's rewind to when I sent my zine. I convinced my dad to write me a check then I put the check in the package. Then about a week ago I got a letter from Dave Jacobs saying that I won't get my APA unless I send money. So naturally I tried to contact somebody so John Salvo can look for it again. I emailed the only 2 in the APA who supplied (or more likely the only 2 that have) their email address, but that was a dead end. Neither was able to supply me with email addresses for APA officers or ORCA officers (like Dennis Kininger). As you may remember Rick was going to give us ORCA President Dennis Kininger's email address 2 months ago. I guess what happened is Rick expected him to have an email address by the time he sent BOF #4 and either Dennis still didn't have one or Rick doesn't know what it is yet by the time Rick sent #6. Any way I had to called Rick, which was the only option left, besides snail mail. So the moral of the story is when sending in your money with your submission put inside another envelope so it'll be easier to find.

A while back I had this dream and when I woke up I remembered most of it. After a moment I thought you know that would make a pretty cool story. So I got up and after breakfast I started writing it down. Of course when your dreaming it's spontaneous and it doesn't get very detailed and often doesn't make sense. So I had to add a lot of detail and change a few things. After I finish the first story arc with the Red Panther the copyright for this should be back and you'll get to see this cool story that I literally dreamt up.
Some of you have been asking how the whether is out here. During the winter the coast got hit hard and several places here in the valley flooded, but here in Fresno we just had an unusually ... um, strange winter. Well, a couple of days before the end of May I realized that summer should have started already, we should be having 90 degree weather. Now that it's the middle of June we should be getting into the hundreds. Why am I complaining you ask, that means I don't have to fry yet. There is a very good reason, almost half of the San Joaquin Valley economy comes from agriculture and all the crops are about a month behind. That's bad news for everybody, especially California but they call the SJ Valley the world's bread basket. The majority of the country's grain comes from the plain states but the majority of fruits, vegetables, and even meats come from the SJ Valley. Oh, and guess what, just today the temperature jumped from a high in the 70's to a high of 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

Review:
Title & Issue: Thieves & Kings #1
Publisher: I-Box Publishing
Writer and Artist: Mark Oakley (but calls himself M'Oak)
Date Published: September 94
Cover Price: $2.35 US $2.95 CAN
What? 94? You suggesting I go and look for a self- published comic that has been out that long? Yes, as popular as this title is there are still many copies of early issue first prints available. Also it has gone into second and possibly third print as well as being in the first of three trade paperbacks.
The story is about how a young thief meets a young princess by means of an unusual contest. The King is advised to organize it to determine who should succeed him; a cruel, wicked prince or a kind, younger princess. The thief whose name is Rubel finds the prize and takes it from where the prince illegitimately hid it. He accidentally comes across the princess and after she tells him the story he gives it to her, because he has no desire to inherit the throne. They each make a pact to the other.
Four years pass and Rubel is returning home after a long tour on a merchant ship. First he finds that his captain won't give him his pay and legal papers so he can go ashore until the next port. After he escapes he finds that his grandfather, whom he planned to meet when they returned from their respective tours, died in a ship wreck. He goes through to the back end of town to find his friend Quinton the wizard, but he is not there and his place looks as if he hasn't been there for a very long time. He goes to find Quinton, but first he searches for his old friends but they all moved on to other things. He goes to the woods in search of an imp named Varkias, his last friend. However, because of the long time Rubel was at sea, that Rubel had left him alone he turned to iron. That is when a Shadow Lady showed up who tried to steal Rubel away using mesmerizing charms.
Well, although I left many details if I tell you how the issue ends it'll ruin it for you. This title gets my highest possible recommendation. One of the best on the market and although each issue isn't exactly self-contained you can pick up any issue and know all you need to about previous issues, and has some of the best characterization I've ever seen in an independent title. The most interesting thing about M'Oak's style is that he mixes prose with traditional comic storyboard. The first few pages are told with words he only adds drawings in the borders.
5 star scale: 5 stars.

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