Action, Ohio
Genre:
Super-Hero, Action/Adventure
Views:
7516
Favorite:
85
Login to Add a Favorite
Detective Andrea Bruce doesn't believe in heroes. But when a teenager dies stopping a fire with amazing abilities and the coroner suspects foul play, Andrea discovers a secret town of superheroes while tracking his killer. In the sixties, men responsible for the birth of Silver Age comic book heroes found this town of proud citizens riddled with the fallout of the atomic age and invented fictional characters based on its residents to divert the world from their existence: If America thought super heroes were fictional beings, it wouldn't go looking for them. Andrea, supported by an aging group of heroes, tries to hide Action from the world but her desire to solve her case and inability to depend on anyone else blinds her as she searches for the killer — someone willing to reveal and destroy utopia. As a town founded on policies of non-involvement begins to crack – half for isolation, half for throwing open their doors – Andrea weeds out murder suspects, digs into the underbelly of a town that's imprisoned itself to save the world, and asks: if Action, Ohio is a town of comic book heroes, then where are the villains? Andrea, an outsider with no use for heroes, must choose between solving her case and opening a Pandora's Box of evil closed forty years ago, or putting aside her vendetta to help contain Action's existence and freedoms in order to ensure that the sleepy little town hiding from the citizens of the world doesn't reach out, ignite and destroy them.
I enjoyed the strip. I think it treads on some of the "Welcome to Tranquility" ground but that's ok. I liked the narative but I think it got in the way of the artist job towards the end whereas I had to backtrack to look at the art because I was too busy reading. The artwork is good but the artist needs to look into "perspective" which is a bit wonky - not style wise - but I can give the example of the 2 story ambulance on page 8. Good job though! 4/5
Man, we gotta get out of this second place rut. Get out to first place, get some dinner. That sort of thing.
You kids get off mah lawn!
Man, you go get dinner, come back and find that you're still in second place and your thread's been taken over! Rudy, I never thought that guy was you or someone you've sent. I'm done with the drama; focusing on the promoting and vote-getting.... so all you people VOTE ACTION OHIO and add us to your favorites!
@Pads: I'd rather be green than a zooophile...
;)
mpd57 & RKB both have green people for their avatar. Are they one in the same? Is it an alter ego? CONSPIRACY?? We may never know!!
I also agree with troy no shocker, just lame....
My B-day is may 21 too, not saying that will get me to vote for you, but still nice to know.
Psst. Have you ever seen Ron and Rob in the same place at the same time? Think about it.
Rob definitely has some power!
To be fair MPD I think there are only two talkbacks where this kind of thing is happening. Two of the more vocal competitors. So I don't know if it is much of a shocker.
Who'd have thought it? Grown men reading comics and behaving childishly! Rob, you're going to have to stoop pretty low to drag these talkbacks out of the gutter!
And by the way Rob, would it be such a surprise if we went looking at many of the people on this site and found that they only had one favorite, the person that somehow initially brought them to this site either through ads, friends, relatives or whatever method. Other than the regulars I would guess 80% of the names on here have like one favorite and probably only voted one time.
YES! It's a conspiracy!! You guys are lame! I only come to your page to read the stupid comments! Poor grammer...can't spell...I hope you're still in school! Gives me a chuckle.
Nothing wrong with good taste Rob. If people want to make comments about anything I think they should feel free. I think it is all part of the competition. Plenty of people have said good and bad things about all of the comics up here and the people.
Troy,
You might want to look into that also. "BIGHAND HATER" is a new user who listed GOLDEN as his only favorite of all the comics on this site.
-Rob
I don't know Neil. Rudy seems to have done pretty well with conspiracy and everyone hating on his comic. I suspect there are tons of people masquerading with different screen names in this contest. Bighand hater wouldn't be the first and I can imagine won't be the last. Keep up the good promotion Neil. Seems like you are everywhere. Which is a good thing.
Neil Kleid, I haven't checked all of the other competitors' nodes, yet to see if Bighand Hater is across the board, posting everywhere - but the fact that his name is BIGHAND HATER, yet he's posting hate mail on my doppelganger's node and using terms that i coined for you (jokingly, i promise) is very suspect. I think he's trying to leave the impression that i have something to do with his posts. I don't. I think he's an agent provocateur, probably with the fbi or army intel. I've yet to read your comic, but i know the adverts scream conspiracy, and my comic is kind of subersive toward the military. i think we've attracted the feds to zuda. He's using COINTELPRO tactics.
*by the way, there is precedent for comment bribes prior to this month. re-evolution offered free comics for comments and votes on the myspace last month. anything that works, should be swiped.
You know, I find it interesting that other competitor's supporters are coming here to take shots at me though I've been nothing but civil and supportive of everyone else's comic. I've had this idea for the contest since before the competition began - the Golden creators happened to beat me to it, is all. I knew that after that I would be labeled unoriginal but haters will hate and there's nothing I can do about it. Oh, also, it doesn't take detective work to know that the post beneath me is by one of the previous posters under a different screen name - I bet he even voted twice and isn't THAT in the spirit of fair play?
Great story; I was heading uptown yesterday, on my way to the Comic Book Club with a pocket full of ACTION, OHIO flyers and reading an old library-borrowed volume of ULTIMATE X-MEN when this woman sits down next to me and smiles down at my book. After ten minutes of this, she asks which X-Men book it is and reveals she's a big X-fan. Packed train, upwardly mobile type woman, healthy interest in the X-men book in my hands. We chatter on about continuity and storylines for a bit and it's divulged that I write comics, to which she's thrilled. I then launch into the spiel - doing a comic in DC's American Idol style competition, and hey - here's a flyer about it. She takes it, pockets it in her wallet, I get off at my stop.
Man, I hope she votes.
New post at the production blog:
http://actionohio.blogspot.com/2008/05/plotting-fate-of-little-town-in-ohio.html
****CONTEST! Neil gives YOU presents on HIS birthday!****
Hey, folks!
If you've been paying attention, ACTION OHIO is in the middle of it's second week of the Zuda competition, and to help get votes, favorite and page views, we're starting a contest to coincide with something happening during our third week: the writer's birthday!
On May 21st, I turn 33 and to celebrate, we're going to offer you, our supporters, a chance to get a present too. All you have to do is get as many people as you can to favorite our comic and post on the comments thread that "(Your Name) told me to visit Action, Ohio" by May 21st. The person who sends the most visitors to the thread will win an Action, Ohio prize pack including:
- Signed copies of NINETY CANDLES, Neil's Xeric-winning graphic novella; Puffin Graphics' adapted version of Jack London's CALL OF THE WILD by Neil and Alex Nino; and X-MEN UNLIMITED #14, featuring an 11 page Colossus story by Neil and Mike Oeming. To read more about those comics, check out http://www.rantcomics.com
- More importantly, a signed, original page of ACTION, OHIO art by illustrator Paul Salvi!
Just have your friends, family and pals visit the thread by the end of May 21st, favorite our comic and post that they visited because of you - we'd love for them to vote for us too, but that's not necessary for you to win the contest.
And, heck - because we're generous souls, anyone who gets 33 people by the 21st will get a signed and sketched copy of NINETY CANDLES, too!
Remember - I'm turning another year older, but YOU'RE the one who'll get the goods! What're you waiting for?
Hey, folks - thanks for all the nice words! Sorry I've been absent... last night's Comic Book Club event was fun. I'll have the video link up here once the hosts send it along... but the greatest bit was that on the way to the show on the subway, I was reading an XMEN graphic novel, was asked about it and the conversation led to me handing someone an ACTION, OHIO flyer - there's something I hadn't thought of.. campaigning for votes on the train! Anyway, thanks to all who've voted and favorited us. Please get all of your friends in here to do the same. We'll be announcing a contest later tonight to make just doing that a LOT more interesting...!
That was a really, really good story...I hope this one wins...it'll be a tough choice...Robodeath or Action, Ohio...tough call. Give me awhile.
Despite previous confusion, I will now attempt to be perfectly clear:
I enjoy this comic. It's not flawless, but nothing ever is. It is by far the most flawless entry this month and I sincerely hope that you regain the top spot. Best of luck!
The competition is tough this week. Even though I voted for "E", I´d like to say that your work is brilliant and both of you deserve a chance to be published. Any one of you that should win, will make me happy and justice would have been done! Congratulations!
If I were a publisher, I'd SO publish this. Just saying. Hope it wins, but if not I'm sure it will find a spot somewhere. Thumbs up!
Brilliant title! Paul's art is gorgeous and the idea that the silver age was all just a big conspiracy to convince everyone that super heroes didn't exist honestly makes the hairs on my neck stand up a little.
Comic is very well done. Story line is clear, and the drawings are nice. Good job Neil, and good luck
Nice stuff on this one. Very well done setting up the story
of the town.Drawing is clean and to the point.I like this.
So, ACTION, OHIO begins the week slipping into the number two spot behind CELADORE - but just because we're down, doesn't mean we're out!
Now is the time to get the word out - please vote for us if you haven't yet. If you've already voted, please send the link on to friends, family and co-workers and make sure they (and you) add us as your favorite comic, rate us with 5 stars and leave us some nice words on the comment thread - all these things are taken into account in the final analysis.
Also, feel free to check out this great interview I did with Graeme McMillan at sci-fi website io9.com:
http://io9.com/389345/neil-kleid-finds-action-and-superheroes-in-ohio
And if you're around the NYC area, please swing by the People's Improv Theatre at 8pm to see me talk comics with fellow webcomickers, Kevin (FISHTOWN, TODT HILL) Colden, Molly (BACKSTAGE) Crabapple and John (BACKSTAGE) Leavitt.
Come visit Action, Ohio - and let's retake our rightful spot at the top!
RESTYOURPADS: were you even around for the beginning of the "gloating" incident? If you hadn't noticed it was a cheap ploy started by Rudis to try and drag the other competitors down. He did it smartly by the by as 2 others followed his "lead". Of course he stopped as soon as they started so he could repeatedly blame them for his shananings. And as specified by Neil he was not gloating, only falling into an ill-fated trap set by an evil man. By the by I am not a rabid Ohio fan, I voted for Robodeath and am not changing. I just feel you have the wrong idea of the talented creator that is Neil. So take that white star loser. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh that had to hurt. :)> that me sticking my tongue out at you.
Slipped a spot, eh? I told you bad things happen to people who gloat!
We're one down, but NOT out! Celadore takes the top spot for now... and so now is the time to favorite us, rate us high and VOTE for us. Get your friends to vote ACTION, OHIO!
RKB,
Thats fair - Paul and I decided to open with the backstory because opening with Andrea and diving right into the story would a) leave us with an open ended 8 pages and b) the backstory really gives over the sense of wonder that will drive Andrea once she and Action meet. I do see where you're coming from and all I can hope is that you're interested enough to see what happens when the story continues to change your vote...but in the meantime, feel free to give us a decent rating and add us to your favorites!
Not a bash but I'll try to be original. I would have liked it better if you would of had more characters sort of introduce themselves by name. Those Zudites who never read the synopsis wouldn't know the detective at the end's name is Andrea Bruce and she's going to be a major part of the story. I like the bigger size cast (a whole freaking town of hero's!!!!) but we didn't really get to meet them.
************************************************************
If Andrea had a more active/ speaking part you would probably have my vote for keeps right now, as it stands your losing out to robodeath!!!
************************************************************
To be fair my vote isn't for sure yet, but still conversations between characters who are named in the story instead of text boxes.
Hey! There's a nice little interview running at io9.com:
http://io9.com/389345/neil-kleid-finds-action-and-superheroes-in-ohio
Have a read for more of the "boring backstory" - we all know frequentcontributor won't be reading... but you should! And then favorite us and vote for us!
Frequent,
if you're going to bash the comic, at least come up with something original. You already posted that same comment a few days ago! I will try harder not to step on Alan Moore's toes in the future :)
**** this comic. Boring. All words and no action. You should have started at page 8 and gone from there; filled us in on the boring backstory later. Please, not another "clever" look at superheroes. Isn't that what we have Alan Moore for?
I heard something about Neil having spam so I thought there was a Fried Rice and Musubi party in here...guess I heard wrong =(
DShide says:
RESTYOURPADS: I might be a bit late with this, but if you were a powerful Wiccan you would realize cursing this comic would be selfish and immoral. So as a powerful Wiccan maybe you should now curse yourself. By the by this was written by a practicing Celt so don't think I'm some kind of Pagan hater. Have a nice day and please don't abuse your beliefs any further.
___________________________________________________________
Whatever freak...IT WAS A JOKE!
Definitely, Neil.
-Rob
Its all good, Rob. We're like HYDRA - for every vote that falls, five more shall rise up to take it's place. Hope we'll have you reading after we win!
Sorry, Neil.
The work is really top-notch and I'm sure it will have plenty of opportunities, but I've only got the one vote per month and this month has some really great comics in many styles. You're doing Detroit, and Zuda, proud with this one.
-Rob
Winterman? You just gave me my new credo and made my day better. And thanks for the nice words!
I have no idea what's happening here in my comment thread! Kitka - no worries... i'm just surprised because i've spent a great deal of time researching this comic, the Silver Age and it's history. RKB - if you're still talking about Wertham, kick him a few for me.
Hmmmm....
One of my fav scenes it should read.
No edits makes this hard for those of us that speak American as a first language.
I didn't know english was an issue, or your a girl, otherwise I wouldn't have brought up watchmen to smack you around a little. I gave up looking for new stories, just new takes this comic has a lot of good set-ups.
OT: Anyone know where FW is laid to rest, I'd like to track him down and reenact one of a fav scenes from Garth Ennis's run on the Punisher.
Neil if I'm kicking a dead guy in the arse too much in your comment section just let me know.
Ill-researched was a bad way of putting it. I'm sorry, my English is weak sometimes and I often select the wrong words or phrases. I don't know how to explain it properly so forget I said anything.
Top shelf. Interesting take.
Ignore the haters. Pursue your vision.
You didn't read watchmen enough to get all the pathos in the story damn it!!!!;)
Just kidding, what research??? it's a comic, you put the EC hating comic killing SOB in there, what more do people want???