Saturday, April 3, 2010

Hard Time: John Aston Strikes Again With RAGE Sequel


PLANET GRIFFIN returns on this EASTER Holiday season, not to promote good tidings and cute and fuzzy bunnies, but pure, unadulterated RAGE... JOHN ASTON, that NEXT 100 lean, mean, crime-writing machine, has spit out the long awaited sequel to RACHEL RAGE: HEARTLAND over at OLDETOWNECOMIX.COM (Copies of the bestselling OGN are still being sold on his site, so hurry). The new tale, SHORT TIME WOMAN, continues the grindhouse saga of a Revenge-driven belle dispensing her now infamous brand of 'Southern Hostility' upon the corrupt system that dominates the 70's southlands.

For those of you who haven't followed up on this multiple award winning webcomic, here's the jive: Since the death of her favorite guardian, POPPA SOL, Rachel has spent much of her troubled growing years seeking revenge against the man she held most responsible--- the pitch black evil SHERIFF STEWART. As Rachel set out upon her blood soaked mission, she learns that the good sheriff is actually her REAL father (take THAT, Luke!), which severely complicates things, yet does not deter her from finding out the answers she wants to know. After blazing a trail
(literally!) through the Heartlands, she begins to suspect that the connection between her father and her surrogate runs much deeper than anyone ever realized! Upon learning how the puzzle pieces fit (via a trigger word: Rage), Rachel is captured and sentenced to hard labor, where her fate remained in question. Until now.

The sequel picks up right where the OGN leaves off, with Sheriff Stewart standing trial for his earlier roles as drug trafficker and unrepentant bastard... Beating the rap, the 'lawman' almost immediately begins plotting against the wildcat daughter that caused all the trouble to begin with!

Upon reading the first chapter, it's already a given that writer/creator John Aston has lost none of his bite as the first scenes quickly pull you into the story, whether you've read the OGN or not. John's cinematic panel structure (complete with 'new' theater curtains), returns to great effect as you feel as through John pulled frames from an actual blaxploitation film to tell the tale. Another dimension to STW is that it carries you into another genre of the exploitation era. Where HEARTLAND told you Rachel's tale from the standpoint of a vintage revenge flick, SHORT TIME WOMAN begins the Women-In-Prison era (highlighted by such classics as THE BIG BIRD CAGE and WOMEN IN CHAINS, starring Blaxploitation legend, PAM GRIER).

With that in mind, you can imagine what lurid surprises John's got in store for Rachel next!
Oh yeah, keep your eyes peeled, as John plans to release another compilation of short stories (it already went to press as of this writing) in print format just in time for the summer... It even includes a series of pin-ups from up and coming creators such as SAMAX from GHETTOMANGA.COM, JAY POTTS from THE WORLD OF HURT, and yours truly, THE INFAMOUS RODBUDDAH!

HAPPY EASTER from PLANET GRIFFIN!

2 comments:

Samax said...

hell.
yes.

RodBuddah said...

That's an understandable reaction, Samax. Lol