Aug/101
Wakan Unwanted unwanted for iPhone
You may have heard this through other channels already: We have been collaborating with the company Oxicomics to have Wakan Unwanted adapted for the iPhone. Issues 0, 1 and 2 are done and look great, but Apple has not approved the applications for their AppStore, saying they find the series “extremely racist”.
Seth and I are – of course – staunch anti-racists. We are surprised and upset that our work can be labelled as representing the opposite of our own views, and the opposite of the intention behind the series.
Apple’s reason for refusing the app has caused considerable head-scratching and incredulity among the Wakan readers I have spoken to.
Apple has not elaborated on exactly why they find the series racist, so for now we are left to speculate.
Wakan Unwanted deals with an African American protagonist in an alternate universe Old West. Our hero confronts a lot of racism in the stories, including some language that most people (myself included) would find disgustingly objectionable in real life.
But labeling a series as racist on the grounds that its hero confronts racism seems extremely odd, to say the least.
We strongly believe that the folks over at Apple are misreading Wakan Unwanted. We have sent them some more background materials as well as an outline of where the story is going. Hopefully, this will clear things up.
I will keep you posted on developments.
In the meantime, I recommend that you iPhone users check out Oxicomics’ brilliant app. Just search for “Oxicomics” in the AppStore, and you will be treated to some excellent comics by Kim Holm, Flu Hartberg, InkaLill, Tore Knutsen and many others.
- Lars
Jun/101
OCX comic jams
During OCX 2010 we arranged our first public Comic Jam session. Comic Jam is a concept where you get an assignment and 5 minutes to a draw a small three panel comic. This concept attracted quite a few people – around 60 contributions were delivered at our stand. We want to share our favorite comics here at the site, so stay tuned. The first one is from Becky Cloonan, one great artist and one of the main attractions at the expo this year.
– Aksel
May/100
Wakan Unwanted #2: ‘A Red Bird’s Plight’
The latest issue of Wakan Unwanted is available now, at the very agreeable price of 40 Norwegian kroner. We are presenting 22 full colour pages of original material, once again written by Lars S. Nygård and drawn, inked and coloured by myself.
In this issue we get to know more about our hero Clarius and meet some new characters. The story arcs for the first six issuse start to build, and we can promise excitement and suspense as well as some hopefully rather handsome-looking panels..!
The first printing has been quite popular but there are still some copies left, so don’t delay.
- Seth
Apr/100
Clarius and the ashcloud
For those of you eagerly awaiting the next installment of Wakan Unwanted, I have some good and some bad news.
Good first? Okay, if you insist: Issue #2 is in the can and being printed as I write this. We have also found a cheaper printing option, meaning we can bring the price down.
Bad news: The printer is based in the US, and I don’t know if you heard, but there was this volcano. I would not be surprised if we will see some delays in getting the books across the Atlantic. We will keep you posted.
Right now, Seth and I are crossing fingers and toes hoping the books will be in Oslo in time for OCX, and we would appreciate it immensely if you would do the same.
By the way, OCX is happening May 28 and 29. Save the dates.
And one last thing: Be sure to check out ComixPress, our new printer. They have a great online store, from which you will soon be able to order your copies of Wakan Unwanted #1 and #2.
- Lars
Apr/100
Space Avalanche
This weeks web comic recommendation goes to Space Avalanche – some guy who lives off the island of eyre – making great comics. You may order a copies as a posters, t-shirts and regular paperback of course. Follow his feed to get approx. weekly updates.
Mar/100
Xkcd
As part of our weekly web comic update, here’s one that should be part of every geeks morning routines. Xkcd keeps ‘em coming almost every day – but then again they’re not that hard to draw
NRK beta did a story about Xkcd a couple of weeks ago that indicates the popularity this web comic has had (an still has) on the web. I don’t want to repeat their text here, so please go there and have a look yourself (the main text is in norwegian, but the videos and xkcd-stories are all in english)
The preferred way to read this web comic (most blog based web comics I would believe) is to fetch the RSS-feed URL and put it into some RSS-reader software (eg. Google Reader, iGoogle or some other fancy software you might use). Even this blog supports RSS-feeds, so go ahead – start subscribing!
- Aksel
Mar/100
It`s friday
I’d like to recommend “Spine: Blindknot” – a futuristic ninja like story. Its updated two days a week, currently with 21 pages finished. I love the simple, yet effective, coloring. Can’t wait to see how it all ends.
- Aksel
Mar/101
Coming soon- Wakan Unwanted issue 2: ‘A Red Bird’s Plight’
At the end of this month, the next issue of Wakan Unwanted should be fully drawn and ready for print. It will be another 22 full-colour pages plus a brand new cover, once again drawn and coloured by myself and written and texted by Lars.
Considering this will be only the third in the series (after ‘In Ashes‘ and ‘Pistonville Peace‘), and the third comic I have actually ever drawn, I am quite happy at how it looks. It is very exciting to see the world we have created becoming more fleshed out. Lars has already written the entire story arc running for multiple issues, although I’m trying to follow the story only as far as I need to while working, so like the reader I have really no idea what will happen to these characters next! It is an interesting way of working and I hope it helps to keep the whole presentation relatively fresh. I can say for sure that if I am not really engaged in what is happening on the pages, it inevitably shows in the finished work.
As for what to expect in the upcoming story: we are following on shortly after the twist-ending of ‘Pistonville Peace’ and the events are happening in the same town. This particular issue is more emotion-driven than action-driven, and there is less fighting… but perversely, more blood(!). We get to meet a few new characters and learn a little more about our hero’s past.
There will be more posts to come from both myself and Lars where we will be describing our working processes in more detail. In the meantime, here is an untexted preview page from the upcoming issue 2 to whet your appetites!
- Seth
Jan/100
Wakan Unwanted #1 for sale
The first full-length issue of Wakan Unwanted is done, printed and desperate to be read by you!
The story is called “Pistonville Peace”, and picks up where the prologue “In Ashes” left off. In a tale of steam, secrets and a slumbering spirit, the last black man in America rides into a town that would see him hang.
If you are in Oslo, stop by Revolver (Møllergata 32) tonight for a drink with artist Seth and writer Lars, and pick up your copy for a modest 50 NOK.
If you can’t make it, place your order here and we will get the book to you as soon as we can.
Meanwhile, why not have a look at “Wakan Unwanted#0: In Ashes” online?
-
Lars
Jan/100
“Norse Codes” goes live
All stories need a beginning. Anakata’s second major offering, NORSE CODES, begins where Comic Noir should begin: with a dark and stormy night.
Appropriately named “The First Night”, the web comic sees its launch on our site today.
Nils and Aksel have labored for a long time to create a web comic that punches you in the gut – and that takes advantage of a few web-specific features that paper lacks.
Nils – working under the pseudonym of Peter Slin (slin – get it?) – has been working on Norse Codes for two years, and promises tht this is just the beginning.
He describes Norse Codes as “a modern fairy tale about how belief creates reality”. Five people realize that they are in fact the center of the world – and its end. But how do they fit together? What parts will they play? Who is behind it all? And what is the code?
Nils also describes Norse Codes as “a modern excuse to show how cool it would be if the Mountain King reduced the Oslo Plaza Hotel to rubble”.
Read the web comic today, and look forward to the first issue of nine, available in May. Watch this space!
-
Nils
Before the laughter dies
Comikoan webcomic
Norse codes webcomic
Wakan Unwanted comic