By Seth Kushner
Skuds Mckinley is a Professional comic book artist and Illustrator based in Doylestown Pa. His first Self Published comic work, I’ll Take You To The Moon And Leave You There Vol.1 was met with fantastic reviews and quickly sold out of print. He has designed merch and album covers for Heavy Metal and Punk bands alike and works with two of his favorite rap artist, Kap Kallous and Homeboy Sandman. According to Homeboy Sandman, “Skuds Mckinley is like the Homeboy Sandman of art. He Just has mad different styles.” He is Currently working on a few short comic stories and plans to take over the comic world this year. See his work here www.Skudsink.virb.com, and follow him on twitter https://twitter.com/SkudsMckinley.
Read past installments of SCHMUCK
SCHMUCK 1: Beer, Babes and Bowel Movements
THE SCHMUCK DIARIES: Mein Roommates
THE SCHMUCK DIARIES: The Lap-Date
THE SCHMUCK DIARIES: Writing (No) Class
THE SCHMUCK DIARIES: Number 32
THE SCHMUCK DIARIES: Send in the Clones Part-1
THE SCHMUCK DIARIES: Send in the Clones Part-2
SCHMUCK DIARIES: “Nice” Jewish Girls
SCHMUCK DIARIES: Thanksfornothing Dinner
SCHMUCK DIARIES: Unhappy New Year
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Whenever Seth Kushner did anything foolish growing up, his mother would call him a “Schmuck,” that beloved Yiddish term of not-so-endearment. So, of course, it’s the title of his new comix semi-autobio on TRIP CITY, an online multimedia arts salon. Renowned for his books The Brooklynites (with Anthony LaSala) and Leaping Tall Buildings: The Origins of American Comics (With Chris Irving) and the webseries CulturePOP Photocomix, photographer and author Seth Kushner now throws his hat into the comics arena. SCHMUCK chronicles the period after his being dumped by a girlfriend, and the ensuing cascade of blind dates, Internet hook-ups, and comically tragic situations he endured with the hopes of finding “true love.”
SCHMUCK sheds a brutally honest light on 20-something relationships. Adam Kessler, our “hero,” is based on Kushner, ten years ago – a pop-culture-obsessed photographer torn between pleasing Mom by finding a “nice Jewish girl,” and figuring out what he really wants. His internal monologue is filled with the standard inane, perverted and self-deprecating thoughts we all have but are ashamed to admit. Meanwhile, his shit-talking, sex-obsessed Brooklyn boys stand by with their own, often wacky, advice.
Chapter One “Beer, Babes and Bowel Movements,” illustrated by Kevin Colden, (with “Photocomix” by Seth) debuted on Monday, January 9. From there, a new chapter will appear on TripCity.net every second Monday for one year. Every fourth Monday will see the release of a prose piece, “THE SCHMUCK DIARIES,” which will act as supplements to the comics. 2012 will see the release of 12 SCHMUCK comix and 12 SCHMUCK DIARIES.
SCHMUCK is an anthology series with different artists illustrating short “schmucky stories,” which can be read individually, or together to tell the complete narrative. SCHMUCK artists include; Sean Pryor (Pekar Project), Bobby Timony (Night Owls), Omar Angulo (Hurricane Wilma), Shamus Beyale (The Grimm Fairy Tales), Ryan Alexander-Tanner (To Teach), George Schall, (Dark Horse Presents) Nathan Schreiber (Power-Out), Leland Purvis (Resistance), Stephen DeStefano (‘MAZING MAN) and more TBA.
What to expect: heartbreak, diarrhea, painful STD removal, rejection, Kung-Fu, Natalie Portman, vomit, boobs, self-loathing, unkempt genital regions, sex with an ex, drunkenness, sexual dysfunction, depression, misogyny, and somehow, hope.
Influences on SCHMUCK include; Harvey Pekar’s American Splendor, Alex Robinson’s Box Office Poison, Bob Fingerman’s Beg The Question, Dean Haspiel’s Street Code, Philip Roth’s Portnoy’s Complaint, Curb Your Enthusiasm, works by Nick Hornby, Jonathan Ames, Woody Allen, Adrian Tomine, Jeffrey Brown, Chester Brown and Joe Matt.
great episode, really liked the writing and art! I enjoy the subtle film references in some of the episodes, (like Cinema Paradiso in this one, Kubrick in Jew-Death) and damn it, I was taking crib notes before you stopped her..