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3-D Pete's Big Orbit Comics! #8 Review posted: 02 June 2006 Writer: Mike Fisher Artist: Mike Fisher Publisher: Goofa Man Productions  4.00 out of 5 Stars Reviewed by Adam White

When Mike Fisher first inquired if ComicCritique.com would be interested in reviewing his work, I was personally hesitant because there just aren’t that many truly independent comicbooks out there right now that interest me. Way too many self-styled “creators” combine crappy, derivative half-plots with juvenile art that a three-year-old wouldn’t boast of and call it a comicbook, and if they are really insensitive they make it a psuedo-manga style pamphlet about anthropomorphic animals. So, given that I had never heard of Mike Fisher, Goofa Man Productions, or 3-D Pete’s Big Orbit Comics!, you can understand my hesitation. Fortunately, Fisher bucks the trends and produces an amusing, digest-sized comicbook that examines the twenty-first century version of the “starving artist” without reducing himself to taking the whiny, pathetic road many other creators have too often traveled.

Fisher’s 3-D Pete serves as an (apparently) autobiographical character that demonstrates the ups and downs of being an independent animator and artist. All the stories involving Pete are one-page comic strips that get in and get out of the

3-D Pete examines the twenty-first century version of the “starving artist” without succumbing to the pitfalls encountered by many other autobiographical creators.

point Fisher wants to make with them, thus they don’t overplay any gags or outlive their usefulness as a story. Fisher also treats us to the adventures of Nanosapien, an interesting concept that was my favorite part of the book. My personal preference lies with longer stories as opposed to short strips, and Nanosapien begs to see print in a longer narrative form; the short piece included here only whets the appetite for more information and adventures of the character and what led to his creation. Other vignettes include a hilarious appeal to Peter Jackson with alternate ways to end King Kong and a back page strip about a Batmoprise starship model complete with Bat-Kirk figure (the combination here is obvious). Fisher makes Pete an amiable loser (and I mean that in the good way) that you root for no matter how lazy or misguided he becomes.

Fisher’s art suits the book, with simple yet somewhat exaggerated characters that convey over-the-top emotions that are fitting for the story. Sometimes writers with semi-mediocre art skills will draw their own stories due to inability to play well with others, but you can tell Fisher deliberately chose his style because he demonstrates his artistic range with Nanosapien and in other instances throughout the issue. The Nanosapien story also has a Jack Kirbyesque feel to it not only in tone but in design and layout as well; that is not to say it’s derivative, because it’s not, it simply has that wondrous sense of amazement that Kirby made so prevalent in his art. Comparisons to the King are high praise indeed, and another vote for a full-length Nanosapien adventure.

The only thing I can compare 3-D Pete’s Big Orbit Comics! to is Brian Bendis’s excellent Fortune and Glory, so that is again high praise to be named in such company. Like F&G, 3-D Pete collects smaller

Fisher’s Nanosapien story has that wondrous sense of amazement that Jack Kirby made so prevalent in his art style.

strips that combine to tell a bigger story, although the latter is not yet complete in graphic novel form. Fisher obviously has a goal in mind with these stories and you can sense that connectedness despite the seemingly random order of the strips. So I definitely have a higher opinion of Fisher’s work than the recurring snooty critic has of poor Pete’s in the strips, so if you like autobiographical satire or are an aspiring artist yourself, you will want to give 3-D Pete’s Big Orbit Comics! a look and see what you’re in for. Fisher also produces animated shorts featuring these characters which, along with his comcbooks, you can purchase through his website, Goofa Man Productions, so go check it out.

 

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