Aquaman’s dream of unity between surface and sea has come true! A utopia of human and Atlantean ingenuity, and a symbol of harmony between the two cultures, the city of Crownspire is Arthur Curry’s greatest achievement. There Aquaman, Mera, and Tom Curry live in content. But who built Crownspire? Where is Murk? And what exactly is Tom Curry?
Something is very wrong with Aquaman’s world, and if he doesn’t find out soon he may never live to see another day.
Published by DC Comics. Click here to read on Comixology!
In celebration of the 35th anniversary of Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal, return to the world of Thra in an official sequel to the beloved fantasy film. Discover an all-new race of creatures called Firelings that live in a realm near the planet’s core, based on official character designs by Brian Froud. Years have passed since the events of the original film, and though Jen and Kira have ruled Thra as King and Queen, bringing Gelfling back to the land, they have become distracted by power and can no longer feel or see the needs of the world the way they once did. Thurma is a young Fireling tasked with stealing a shard of the Dark Crystal to restore power to her realm. Along the way she’ll befriend the young Gelfling Kensho, bring back the Skeksis and Mystics, and embark on one incredible adventure.
Published by Archaia. Click here to read on Comixology!
1912. A wealthy humanitarian has travelled to Skull Island with the purpose of civilizing the native Tagatu living there. Although the Tagatu accept his gifts and allow his team to live among them, they’re devoted to their god…and the team soon discovers that Kong is very, very real.
Published by BOOM! Studios. Click here to read on Comixology!
One year after the Second American Civil War, Kentucky has become an occupied nation within U.S. borders. When a man’s family is taken by the occupation, he becomes the lightning rod for a revolution, and starts on the path to becoming the first feudal warlord of the Appalachia Mountains.
Published by BOOM! Studios. Click here to read on Comixology!
In an intense game of hide-and-seek, Finn accidentally crosses over into the Forgotten Kingdom, the place where all forgotten things go.
Published by KaBOOM! Click here to read on Comixology!
A newly-single mother has until dawn to hide the body of her dead husband. Script by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, pencils and inks by Scott Van Domelen, colors and letters by Dustin Mollick. Click here to read from the beginning.
UPDATE: Killing Marcus is now Issue #1 of SMOKETOWN, a crime series by Scout Comics!
One generation after a bioterrorism attack leaves Americans unable to conceive, children have become the world’s most valuable commodity. When an American adoption agent working in Nicaragua kidnaps a street kid for adoption, he and his brother discover that the adoption industry is even darker and more dangerous than they knew.
Published by BOOM! Studios. Click here to read on Comixology!
A U-boat is discovered at the bottom of the English Channel. An old Englishman is revealed as a former nazi. And a journal is found that details the horrific last days of the U-Boat Bremen. A horror comic by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Steve Beach and Ken Bruzenak. Click here to start from the beginning.
Musicomic.com is the best place on the web for band nerd comedy. Featuring the BAND! series, with art by Dustin Mollick.
BAND! Podcast 1/30/2015
The first podcast between me and artist Dustin Mollick about the BAND! series! We watch Dustin draw BAND! #18 while he and I discuss our earliest introductions to comics, and how our collaboration came to life.
BAND! 18
Created by Dustin Mollick and Phillip Kennedy Johnson
BAND! 17
Created by Dustin Mollick and Phillip Kennedy Johnson
BAND! 16
Created by Dustin Mollick and Phillip Kennedy Johnson
BAND! 15
Created by Dustin Mollick and Phillip Kennedy Johnson
BAND! 14
Created by Dustin Mollick and Phillip Kennedy Johnson
BAND! 13
Created by Dustin Mollick and Phillip Kennedy Johnson
BAND! 12
Created by Dustin Mollick and Phillip Kennedy Johnson
BAND! 11
Created by Dustin Mollick and Phillip Kennedy Johnson
BAND! 10
Created by Dustin Mollick and Phillip Kennedy Johnson
BAND! 09
Created by Dustin Mollick and Phillip Kennedy Johnson
BAND! 08
Created by Dustin Mollick and Phillip Kennedy Johnson
MUSICOMIC- Behind The Scenes, Pt. 3
Created by Dustin Mollick and Phillip Kennedy Johnson
MUSICOMIC- Behind The Scenes, Pt. 2
Created by Dustin Mollick and Phillip Kennedy Johnson
MUSICOMIC- Behind The Scenes, Pt. 1
Created by Dustin Mollick and Phillip Kennedy Johnson
BAND! 07
Created by Dustin Mollick and Phillip Kennedy Johnson
BAND! 06
Created by Dustin Mollick and Phillip Kennedy Johnson
BAND! 05
Created by Dustin Mollick and Phillip Kennedy Johnson
BAND! 04
Created by Dustin Mollick and Phillip Kennedy Johnson
BAND! 03
Created by Dustin Mollick and Phillip Kennedy Johnson
BAND! 02
Created by Dustin Mollick and Phillip Kennedy Johnson
BAND! 01
Created by Dustin Mollick and Phillip Kennedy Johnson
BAND! is an ongoing comic strip that appears on musicomic.com. The co-creator, Dustin Mollick, plays baritone sax with the Jazz Ambassadors, right across the hall from my own group, The U.S. Army Field Band. I played a couple gigs with the Jazz Ambassadors last year, and Dustin and I discovered that we were both comic creators. We’d been telling very different kinds of stories up ’til then, but it seemed stupid not to do a book together. So here it is: BAND!
SPOILERTOONS, Episode 1- Pacific Rim
Butcher’s Tale grew out of my respect for Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction and a lifelong affection for Jim Henson’s The Storyteller series.
Pulp Fiction ties several short stories together into one larger narrative, which is a clever device on its own, but its real genius is in its characters. Almost every one of the characters plays a supporting role in someone else’s story, but remains the hero of his or her own story. Just like real people, none of them ever think they’re the villain, or the sidekick, or the love interest… Everybody thinks they’re the hero.
The Storyteller is a series of folk tales written and/or adapted by Anthony Minghella, produced by Jim Henson Studios in the 90’s as part of The Jim Henson Hour. Most of the episodes starred John Hurt as the old Storyteller, and for me the show perfectly captured the oral tradition of storytelling that we see so rarely now.
Years later, I started writing pseudo-folk tales of my own, loosely basing the tone on The Storyteller‘s oral style. When I found a supporting character I loved, I gave them their own story, slowly using the characters to tie all the stories together. As a collection they’re called Traveler’s Tales, and “Butcher’s Tale” is the third of those stories, though the first one intended for publication.
Download the entire story here.
MEPS
MEPS, or Military Entrance Processing Station, is the process every recruit for the United States military must go through to determine eligibility. It can be tedious, frustrating, and if you have reason to think you might not be eligibile, incredibly stressful. When I went through MEPS I met people who had medical conditions, who were very nearly too old, who were obese, and/or who could barely meet the English requirement. Many of them had tried to enlist multiple times, and I was humbled by their willingness to keep coming back, determined to serve. This piece, “MEPS,” puts the reader in the shoes of one of these people, as I imagine the experience.
Download the entire story here.
SCAPEGOATING VIDEO GAMES: THE COMICS CODE AUTHORITY 2.0
Written in response to the undue scrutiny shown to the video game industry following the Sandy Hook shooting, and the troubling similarities to the events that led to The Comics Code Authority of 1954.
MAINTAINING CONSISTENCY ON TOUR
A method for the touring trumpet player to maintain consistency on the road. Published in the March 2013 International Trumpet Guild Journal.
AMERICAN SPLENDOR: HOW COMICS ARE BECOMING JAZZ
An observation of the similarities between two of America’s most timeless art forms, jazz and comic books. Published in 2012 by ComicBookResources.com, the internet’s leading comic magazine.
COMIC-CON, HALL H AND THE LINE FROM HELL
Written in response to a woman’s death at Comic-Con International 2012.
AURORA, ALEX TEVES AND WHY WE NEED SUPERHEROES
A celebration of the life and singular character of Alex Teves, a victim of the Aurora shooting on July 20th, 2012. Later posted on ComicsAlliance.com and alexteveschallenge.com.