The Schlub
2023 / Story: Ryan Stegman, Kenny Porter / Art: Tyrell Canon / Colors: Mike Spicer / Letters & Design: John J. Hill / Image Comics
A Heros Journey
A stupid, worthless, or unattractive person; that, ladies and gentlemen, is the definition of a schlub. The Schlub opens by introducing us to Mr. Dalton, a dentist, not-so-great bowler, and divorcee. We're told that Roger Dalton isn't particularly a bad person, he is just incapable of making a good decision. In other words, responsibility isn't his strong suit, and his failing dental office is proof of that.
Meanwhile on the streets of Rapid City Cirrus and Wyrm duke it out over a dangerous relic. Cirrus is the Superman stand-in. He's cunning, wholesome, and his abs are just as chiseled as his jawline. He's willing to put forth his life to protect the citizens of Rapid City and the world. Cirus's adversary Wyrm is committed to eliminating hope from the universe, all with the help of the mysterious relic. But when the pair crash through the office of Roger Dalton, they're devastated to discover Roger holding the relic, and upon pushing the button, his, and Cirrus's worlds collide.
With Roger now inhabiting the body of Cirrus and Cirrus following behind in the meat sack that is Roger's body will they be able to save the universe from Wyrm's schemes? Is Roger finally going to be able to make the right decisions? And can Cirrus handle taking the backseat of this hero journey?
The Creators
Ryan “Vanish Boi” Stegman is a legendary Marvel comics artist, and although he has many writers to thank for giving him such epic stories to illustrate, he’s now proving himself quite worthy in the craft of storytelling. Most will know him for penciling Superior Spiderman written by Dan Slott. What’s even more noteworthy is his work on 2018’s Venom series. He stayed on Venom for quite some time, even hosting two events in the pages of Eddie Brock's journey, Absolute Carnage and King in Black, I would recommend both arcs. These days Stegman works closely with his podcasting cohost and best friend Donny Cates and they have an ongoing Image title called Vanish, which is essentially what if Harry Potter grew up to have a whole shit ton of trauma and a lack of knowledge with how to cope. Vanish is edge lord madness and I’m here for every issue. Most recently Stegman has left the interior art for Vanish to JP Mayer and Stegman has begun scripting pages. The story still hits like a ton of bricks.
Kenny Porter has mostly worked under DC Comics, which means I haven't had a ton of exposure to his work. I’ve known of him, mostly thanks to the ‘Steg-Man and His Amazing Friends’ podcast, where I learned that he has a fantastic sense of humor. Many writers would find it helpful to check out his short fiction pieces and blog posts on his website.
Pairing these two writers together will offer some interesting dynamics. I’m ready for the weighty emotional moments that Stegman can’t resist, contrasted by the eccentric storytelling that Porter is known for.
This man’s art is Energetic as all hell. Tyrell Canon’s pencils and inks show off dynamic action and detailed environments. If you find your way to his website you’ll see some really rad Doom artwork and a couple of pages from last year's limited series Beef Bros. All of his work jumps off the page, and The Schlub is no exception.
Upon looking into Mike Spicer’s past work I was aghast with how much of it I was familiar with. He’s colored some really appealing and successful comics. He’s worked with just about every major publisher which really makes it apparent how much of a workhorse this man is. Some may think that coloring is for children, but one glance at a page completed by this man will change that opinion. His approach to the colors will truly immerse readers into the world of The Schlub.
Crossover, The Ghost Fleet, God Country. Ryan’s right-hand man is Donny Cates. Hill here has been working alongside Donny for quite some time. Each title I just listed is some of Donny’s earliest and most notable works. I think it’s fair to say that John J. Hill is a solid pick to bring this ridiculously rowdy comic together in a neat package.
I Want The Comic, What Do I Do?
FOC (final order cut-off) is this Monday, tomorrow, July 31st! So call your comic shop and get it added to your pull list or you'll miss out. Don't be one of those "What's The Schlub?" kinda people. Join me and embrace The Schlub!
What to Expect From Jake's Take
Is The Schlub a horror property? Not at all, and that's okay. When I first paid for a domain I was told to narrow down what it is I'm interested in, and what I'd be writing about, so that's what I did. I've been plucking away at this blog for the better part of 2 years now, which feels bonkers to write. I hadn't realized I'd been doing this that long. Anyway, I've come to terms with the fact that I need to reassess my gimmick. Horror will always be a genre that is close to my heart, but I've pigeonholed my creativity. I have fun writing about films, but will I be able to have a one-on-one with the director or writer of Saw X? Probably not. I have a better chance of speaking with artists and writers in the vein of comic books and novels. Help me out will you? Below I'm going to leave a poll that has a few options for new domains, pretty much what should I call Jake's Take from here on out, and what name best describes what I do here?
Which of these rolls off the tongue?
jakestakereview.com
jakestakejournal.com
booksnfilmswjake.com
thrudimensions.com
To my loyal readers, I hope you all are having a sunburnin', river-splashin' kind of summer. Be sure to take a book with you when you're out by the pool and once that sun goes down throw on a classic horror flick, I'd recommend Sleepaway Camp, it will give you all that summer nostalgia.
-Jake out