There's one last thing to pass on in this series about publishing your graphic novel through a traditional prose publisher: Does this work?

Easy answer: Yes.

In the eternal struggle between "story comics" and "gag comics," I tend to come down on the side of the long form.  Yes, a little chuckle is good, but I'd rather follow characters through an adventure, even if that adventure is just them trying to return a library book or attending a "meet the tenants" party in their apartment building.

Theater Hopper by Tom Brazelton is a webcomic sort of, but not entirely about Tom, his wife Cami and their friends. The creator, Tom Brazelton (as opposed to his four-color alter ego) is coming up on six years of the webcomic.  Neither fatherhood nor the Star Wars prequels have stopped the man from making fun at and with the movies.  Over the last couple of months I interviewed Tom about the webcomic, his third print collection and other necessary pop culture topics.

Ever get frustrated with the breakneck pace of the modern life? Ever wish you were one of those carefree hippie spirits, your dreams undulled and your eyes permanently lit with sparkles? Chillax, broseph, because today, I'm going to dig in to Octopus Pie.  Octopus Pie is a fanciful take on a modern Odd Couple as they try to survive life's perils in New York City.  The comedy series is written and drawn by Meredith Gran (Not Gonna Take It, Skirting Danger).  The comic is very new --- barely a year old in fact --- yet it's already received a WCCA: the 2008 award for Outstanding Newcomer. (Octopus Pie was also nominated for 2008's Outstanding Black & White Art and Website Design awards.)

In this month's Panels & Pictures, Derik A Badman reviews the recently completed The Lady's Murder by Eliza Frye, an evocative 32 page mystery that uses bold colors and striking compositions.