Tales of Fantasy #64

Digest, 40-pages, color covers, B&W, interior, by Larry Johnson.  

In this (the 64th issue!) of Tales of Fantasy Larry Johnson brings us indie comic fans a collection of fantastic stories.  The first is Tales of the B.S.I. Robot, a cautionary tale of greed leading to Cold War era weaponry going awry with disastrous results.  Then we're treated to The Growth, an account of a mysterious entity devouring everything in its path in a strange, yet familiar world.  The third offering is Not School Work, a personal history recounting Larry's early mentor and his lasting influence on Larry as he marked his entrance into the comic scene.  The final tale is The Haunted Scarf, a short silent piece about...well, a scarf!

Each story is expertly illustrated with much attention given to the details in every panel.  Dan Burke inks Tales of the B.S.I. Robot and does an outstanding job.  Larry's consistent illustrative style always appears tight and neat with the hint of a draftsman behind the pencil.

In addition to the above mentioned comics, Larry also provides a short exposition from Dan Burke, the inker of Tales of the B.S.I. Robot, letters from fans, and a United Fanzine Organization (UFO) Checklist detailing current offerings from UFO members.  While each of these non-comic entries are informative and nice to see, for me it's the piece featuring Dan's comments that are such a nice change of pace.  It's the little things like this, an artist explaining their approach to their craft, that distinguish the small press from the mainstream and foster the sense of community enjoyed by so many in this scene.  And of course we're only treated to this peek inside because the comic's creator, editor, and publisher, Larry Johnson, has chosen to make it available.  So, thanks to you Larry for not only giving us a neat Sci-Fi comic, but for also allowing us to peer into the creative process that brought it about!  You can order your copy at Tales of Fantasy #64