My 'Take' On: PUG The Graphic Novel As Seen at the 2010 San Diego Comic-Con International Image Comics Booth!        -------------- --------- Above Topmost Photo: Writer Derek McCulloch as seen at the Image Comics Book during the 2010 SDCC! --------- Above Photo: Artist Greg Espinoza as seen in Artists Alley at the same SDCC! At the Top Left: The Front Cover to PUG - the Graphic Novel from Image Comics! At the Bottom Left: The Logo for the Comic Con International: San Diego - a.k.a. San Diego Comic Con 2010.

TODAY'S FEATURE - Blog #3216:

As blogged before...One of the great pleasures in attending comic-cons, no matter what the size of them, is visiting the sections named 'Artists Alley', and 'Small Press' or 'Indy Aisles'.

I usually end up with several new publications to read and possibly review in this blog, after striking up conversations with the creators of the comics or graphic novels, due to this blog being the #1 'Followed' blog on Facebook for 'comics', 'comic books', and 'graphic novels' per the NetworkedBlogs app, as seen here.

So as posted earlier, I left with multiple new publications to read after this year's SDCC...I wanted to put this graphic novel near the top of the stack to review, as the graphic novel's artist and writer are having a book signing this upcoming weekend!  More on that at the end of this review...

First...Here's the promotional blurb on:

PUG - The Graphic Novel - by Derek McCulloch & Greg Espinoza  

Hardcover: 104 pages
Publisher: Image Comics (June 30, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1607060663
ISBN-13: 978-1607060666 

Six years ago, the Darlinger fight ended Jake's career, cost him his family, and put him in a downward spiral with no end in sight. Now, he's doing collections for a small-time loan shark and thinking maybe it's time he set a few things straight in the world. From award-winning writer Derek McCulloch (Displaced Persons and the Eisner-nominated Stagger Lee) and artist Greg Espinoza, Pug is an unsparing tale of a good man trapped in a life of brutality - 15-rounds of blood and bad memories! 

Now for 'My Take' (review), on this graphic novel:

I've read some of Derek McCulloch's works before. He is a very versatile writer, and is not to be labeled as a writer of any one genre. Indeed this is yet different from other of his works that I've reviewed!

I don't review an original graphic novel, (GN), the same as I do comic books or 'graphic novels' that are actually a compilation of already published comic books into one story arc TPB.

This 'PUG' GN is an original work, and due to its 'odd-size, it is easy to hold and read.

The artwork is in black and white format in the interior pages, although the front and back covers are in colors, (by Moose).

Reading this GN in this style and format is almost like reading a 'Sunday Newspaper Strip' minus the color and the logos on each page. I kind of like that!

The style and format fits the time periods this story is set in: 1956 & 1962.  Being a child of the late 50's & early 60's, reading it in this format and in b&w is a very familar format for me to read it in.

Would it suit today's younger readers that didn't experience those years?  I would think so, as movies about boxing and the characters involved in that era have never truly gone out of style on film.

I also like the 'breaks' in the chapters with a 'girl' holding a placard stating 'Round 2', 'Round 3' etc. to identify the next chapter.  Plus there are flashbacks shown in 'Rest Period' chapters as well.

This is very innovative  in presentation, as far as I am concerned.

So, I had to think back where I saw Derek at during the SDCC, as pictured above.  He was at the Image Comics booth.  I wouldn't have thought that Image would be the pulbishers of this GN?!

I'm glad they did!  Because this is one heck of a 'read' IMO.

I give “PUG” a 9.4 on a 10.0 Grading Scale. NEAR MINT (NM).

Don't miss the book signing by Greg Espinosa and Derek McCulloch this upcoming weekend in the San Francisco area.  Details shown in this link.

Thanks to Derek for bringing his latest work to my attention, and to Greg for taking time at Artists Alley to pose with the GN also!

PLUS...My thanks again to all of YOU reading this blog and our archived blog posts, now over the 3,215 total posts in number! I do appreciate your continued reading and support of this Blog!

BTW, You can 'follow' this Blog by clicking the 'Follow' Button at this NetworkedBlogs app!  I would appreciate that!

Note: Our online comic book shop carries many different genres of comics, magazines, graphic novels, and comic con promotional items at the link seen below.  

http://www.comicbookscircus.com/

 

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My thanks to those of YOU that have read today's blog post! I do appreciate that! For those of you that didn't know me before today... I first set up as a 'dealer' at the 1972 San Diego West Coast Comic Con (SDCC) at the El Cortez Hotel. So I've been around comic conventions for a little while, LOL!   My wife Tina and I now have an on-line exhibitor (dealer) table at the first "virtual" comic con titled the "Facebook Comic Con" (FBCC)! You can view our dealer table and interact with us there on Facebook by clicking this link, which takes you to our table named: 'Facebook Comic Con | Make It So Marketing'.  So if YOU are a Facebook member, please 'join' our Facebook Comic Con - Make It So Marketing exhibitor table for updates, specials, links to this blog, and other wall comments that we post every day!     Also, if you are a Facebook member and would like to also join my Facebook Network, feel free to send a 'friend request' to 'Michael D Hamersky'. I am reaching the maximum of 5,000 Facebook Friends soon, and I don't want YOU to be left out!         ------------------- Talking about comics: if YOU are a comics creator, (writer, penciler, inker, colorist, letterer, etc.), OR even a Comics / Magazine Publisher, feel free to contact me regarding YOUR works for a possible mention / review! I've made a special blog post about: "How To Best Submit YOUR Publication For Possible Review!" for those creators / publishers that would like to possibly have their publications mentioned or reviewed. Just click on the link provided in this paragraph! ~Michael @ ComicBookCollectorsBlog.com   WEB PAGE NOTE:  This blog post is written for the IE Browser standards. Chrome, Safarai, Netscape, Firefox and the others serve the page up differently, sorry about that! The screen display resolution is best seen at the setting of 1024 x 768 on your laptop or desktop computer. NOTE: All images and characters within this blog post are copyright and trademark their respective owners.