One of the best parts of this gig is all of the fun stuff I get exposed to by talented people. I like being able to say to someone, “This is cool, check this out,” because there’s a ton of deserving art, music, comics, film, etc. out there that should be seen but isn’t. Likewise, there’s a lot of shit out there that people bemoan and bitch about, but they don’t want to take the time to go out and find something decent, let alone good. For some, digging takes too much effort. This is where I’m going to go all tough love on your ass: if you’re not willing to seek out something worthwhile, well, you kind of forfeit your right to piss and moan. Don’t just point and call it all crap; find something good to combat it, and tell others about. We could all use some positivity in our lives, so share what you find because someone else might like it too. More good stuff, less Nickleback.

Case in point: I met Matthew Myers, who writes for The Blood-Shed. He’s also been craftily at work on a new venture, a graphic novel called Down By Kontact. He describes it as “[revolving] around four inebriated friends that are on their way to compete in a competition at their local arcade in 1996. The soon find themselves trapped in a nightmare, and struggling to survive while they try to protect a young girl.” Honestly, you had me at arcade in 1996, Matt, but then this came into the picture:

Courtesy of Down By Kontact.

This looks ominous. I got to preview a few more images, and they’re minimalist without being too artsy. The overall effect is creepy, which is intriguing for me. I’m giving credit there to artist Dixie Filloy. Name sound familiar? She’s Arthur Filloy’s kid (Ren and Stimpy, anyone?) and the apple didn’t fall far from the tree.

So here’s where some of you may roll your eyes. Down by Kontact is in the Kickstarter phase (click here to take a look). I know that there are a lot of you out there that dislike crowdfunding; however, I don’t mind it. I find it reassuring when it’s not aggressive (you have to admit, it’s the aggressive pricks that ruin it for everyone else). After all, in the paraphrased words of Amanda Fucking Palmer, all you have to do is ask – you don’t have to demand or belittle to get support. Matt was kind enough to ask me to check this out. And I like it enough to share it with you. So I’m sharing it with you, because I think it’s cool and this deserves some backing.

As always, best of luck to Matt and Dixie from the crew over at the BS Driver Reviews. You can find them on Twitter:
Matthew Myers: @BloodShedMyers
Dixie Filloy: @DrEffdesigns