Of Apes & Lovers...
THE SEQUART Organization is devoted to the study of popular culture and the promotion of comic books as a legitimate art form. They have published over twenty books, five films, and thousands of online articles and have more recently started branching out publishing their own comics.
Today we conclude outlining the contents of some of the wares they have to offer, then leaving it to you to check out if you feel you want to be further educated and illuminated on the subjects matters they offer… Join us as we go ape about alternative futures...
THE FUTURE OF COMICS, THE FUTURE OF MEN: MATT FRACTION’S CASANOVA
Matt Fraction, Gabriel Bá, and Fábio Moon’s Casanova is a stylish adventure about a sexy, amoral, universe-hopping, time-travelling spy caught in a war between the militaristic E.M.P.I.R.E. and the decadent and villainous W.A.S.T.E. (led by a bandaged, cackling madman in sunglasses).
In The Future of Comics,The Future of Men Geoff Klock (also author of How to Read Superhero Comics and Why) argues that beneath its pop surface, Casanova is doing more. He suggests Casanova challenges the corporate driven comic book production model, in which Disney and Time Warner own all the major superheroes. The book also investigates the limited and damaging vision of masculinity that informs so much of modern superhero comics and movies.
Casanova artist Fábio Moon produced the cover for The Future of Comics,The Future of Men features a book that is 136 pages long and is available in print and on Kindle
THE SACRED SCROLLS: COMICS ON THE PLANET OF THE APES
Since the 1970s, the Planet of the Apes franchise has frequently delved into the world of comics. Some stories have made the lawgiver proud, while others have brought shame to Ape City. In the comics arena, not all apes are created equal — but, sometimes for fans, that’s half the fun of reading them
More than 150 Planet of the Apes comics have been published during the past four decades, from Gold Key, Marvel Comics, Power Records, Brown Watson Books, Editorial Malibu Graphics, Dark Horse, Mr. Comics, and BOOM! Studios.
Writers have explored the settings, concepts, and characters from the films (and occasionally the TV series), while introducing an array of new characters and scenarios. Back stories have been revealed, plot holes filled in, and histories extrapolated upon. The comics have employed multiple genres and styles, taking readers to distant villages, ruined cities, and oceanic civilizations — and have even seen the apes battle alien invaders from War of the Worlds and Alien Nation. It’s been quite the madhouse. However, by and large, the Apes comics have remained true to novelist Pierre Boulle’s simian spirit.
The Sacred Scrolls: Comics on the Planet of the Apes feature essays about the franchise’s four-coloUr continuation, from popular comic historians, novelists, bloggers and subject-matter experts and is edited by Rich Handley and Joseph F. Berenato, 312 pages long available in print and on Kindle.
BRIGHT EYES, APE CITY: EXAMINING THE PLANET OF THE APES MYTHOS
The Planet of the Apes franchise has spawned eight films, with a ninth in the works, as well as two television series and several novels. It is one of the most respected franchises in film history. This anthology examines every Apes film, TV show, and novel, from 1968 to present.
For more information on the Sequart Organization click here.
