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!

The Act-i-vate Primer Release Party at Bergen St. Comics!

Bergen Street Comics is proud to celebrate the long awaited release of Act-i-vate's very first print anthology, The Act-i-vate Primer!

The book features 16 exclusive, never-before-seen stories by the acclaimed creators of "The Muppet Show Comic Book", "Freddie & Me", "The Salon", "Fahrenheit 451", "The Alcoholic", "Scarlett Takes Manhattan", "Nicole Dante" and many more!

Featured guests will include Nick Bertozzi, Pedro Camargo, Mike Cavallaro, Ulises Farinas, Michel Fiffe, Maurice Fontenot, Simon Fraser, Dean Haspiel, Joe Infurnari, Leland Purvis and many more!

Enjoy the free refreshments, pick up your very own copy of the Primer and have it signed by your favorite comics creators! But that's not all! There's an after-party, too! The fun continues at:

The 4th Ave. Pub 76 4th Avenue (btwn Bergen St. and St. Mark's Pl)

Thank you for supporting Bergen Street Comics and The Act-i-vate Primer!

The Facebook Event page can be found here!

Act-i-vate Primer Preview at Act-i-vate.com!

Primer Cover ImageOver at the mother site, www.act-i-vate.com, you will find a preview of all the stories in the Act-i-vate Primer! Click through the entire suite of images to learn how you can get your own copy. If you won't be supporting your local comic shop (and we hope you do), you can always click on the new fangled banner to pre-order your copy from Amazon!