SPACE 2011 Report, pt. 11

The much anticipated arrival of Buzz Buzzizyk/Maximum Traffic/Borpo Deets finally came to pass and all was well with the world. Max's arrival made an already extraordinary event become something historic for me. A lot of us sit around thinking creative thoughts, but Max actually has the energy and discipline to give expression to his visions. He is one of my artistic heroes.

Although we didn't really get a chance to talk a great deal, I was thrilled to finally meet him and look forward to giving Max a tour of my corner of the world someday in the near future.

Max brought a stack of the recent White Buffalo Gazette as well as his compilation, Truth Be Known.

In the above photo Max is talking with Colin Upton. In the background Bruce is showing Mike Hill and Hillary Buzzizyk the Outside In portraits on foamboard.

White Buffalo Gazette news

A year ago Michael Dowers revived interest in Newave comix with the compilation Newave! The Undergound Mini Comix of the 1980s.

And now in 2011 Butler, Pennsylvania artist Maximum Traffic/Buzz Buzzizyk/Borpo Deets has produced 100 copies of a collection that will revive interest in the post-Newave comix of the 1990s, a genre known by many of us as Obscuro comix. Although most of the art in this book appears to be from the Century 21, many of the artists come from the Newave/Obscuro era.

It is an impressive and beautiful work. Over 160 pages in enlarged digest format. In fact, this is the very same kind of size and binding I'm thinking of for my own compilations, giving the graphics room to breathe. A very good choice in delivering the artistic goods.

Bravo Max! I admire the way you give life to your creative visions.

City Limits Gazette/White Buffalo Gazette History, Pt. 3-4

John Porcellino completes his history of City Limits Gazette/White Buffalo Gazette with two more parts.

Part 3 includes interviews with Edward Bolman, Cat Noel, Jeff Zenick, Larned Justin, Buzz Buzzyzik/Maximum Traffic/Borpo Deets.

Part 4 is a look at the amazing Millennium issue of White Buffalo Gazette.

Nice work, John! I salute you. This is a slice of first-person comix history that might otherwise have been lost without your efforts.

City Limits Gazette/White Buffalo Gazette History, Pt. 2

The second installment of John Porcellino's history of City Limits Gazette/White Buffalo Gazette was posted today.

This one features an interview with one of my favorite people in the Land of Obscuro Comix, the amazing Maximum Traffic/Buzz Buzzizyk/Borpo Deets.

Nice work, John! Glad to see someone documenting Max's significant contribution in broadening our understanding of what comic art can be.

Phone photo 265

"Love/Hate" created by the incredible Maximum Traffic/Borpo Deets/Buzz Buzziyk.

I used this dead outlet cover in my kitchen after my daughter repainted the walls.

Modernman # 3 ; Maximum Traffic # 210

If you agree with the popular notion the 20th century ended on Dec. 31, 1999 rather than Dec. 31, 2000 (and I'm with the pops) then Modernman # 3 ; Maximum Traffic # 210 was my last published work of the 20th century.

To call this a real jam might be wrong since there was some planning and coordination behind it by that crazy man named Tom in Butler, Pennsylvania who used to call himself Maximum Traffic but has since been known by a few other monikers (my favorite being "Borpo Deets"). He was this project's originator, editor, publisher, and all-around ringmaster.

Nothing was drawn before we had script cranked out by Max, myself, and the great Mike (Worker Poet/Modernman) Hill. Mike, also a Pennsylvanian, once paid me a visit here in McCleary, when he dropped in one day when Lynn Hansen happened to be here. I used to have a photo of that event, and it is possible it is still around in this house.

Anyway, Max wanted me to do all the lettering to give the comic a more consistent look. Contributions were also made by the always amazing Hilary Barta, and a few other artists got their 2 cents in one way or another: Ted Bolman, Mark Campos, Jeff Zenick, and Sean Bieri.

The comic was published in December 1999 and the spine measures 28 cm. I'm also including a scan of the Draft edition, from October 1999, of which only 4 copies exist and is regular digest size.

The Jasper the Pleasant Ghost toy story is actually based on a toy my brother once had and is essentially true. Well, partly true. OK, a little bit true. I've retold this tale in different forms in 3 or 4 comix. It's called recycling. One of the benefits of posting all this old stuff is that I am starting to see where I repeat myself a lot like some old coot blathering away in the corner of the bus station. Hopefully when I put together my next work I'll do something different.

Curve-Vision Man came from a conversation with one of my cousins in the early 1970s. We were talking about useless superpowers, and he mentioned this particular talent, which has stuck in my head ever since.

Odd Size Comix #15

Published by Borpo Deets (better known as Maximum Traffic) in 1996 in Butler, Pennsylvania. It is one letter-sized sheet of paper folded twice.

At first glance this looks like a jam with Max, since he did such a good job of lifting my style on the cover illustration. But no, this is 100% Max, commenting on one of my several long absences from the whole comix network.

Actually I really did snort, by accident, the ashes of a cremated person. But that story will wait for when I post the comic entitled How Two Ex-Presidents Went Up My Nose. Max also makes a reference to my many attempts to kill Morty the Dog.

I really like the way he drew the Obscuro Plaza. That's just how it looks, too. One of my favorite places to stay.