Überbabe #2

Posted: Tuesday, March 11, 2003
By: Darren Schroeder

Creators: Lisa Voldeng (W), Gerry Fournier (A)
Publisher: Sugarlab
Address: 507-1238 Melville St, Vancover BC V6E 4N2, Canada
Price: $6.00 (US)

It's 1915. A young woman is found wandering in the grounds of a nunnery. She knows nothing of her past, so ends up in an asylum. It soon becomes apparent that there is something supernatural about her, as the other patients start react in very strange ways to her presence..

This is an impressive looking package. The book cones in a square format, similar to those old 7 inch singles record companies used to put out in the days of vinyl. Pull off the restrained but striking slip case and you find a small poster of the main character, Überbabe. The cover of the book has a quote on the front, and publishing information, web links and credits.

Gerry's artwork has a fluidness to the lines but is never untidy. Instead he keeps the illustration simple and elegant. No tow pages have the same panel layout. Effective use is made of a limited color pallet, with some colors making a striking appearance at dramatic points in the plot.

Lisa supplies a story that keeps the reader guessing. From a story about a strange girl to a meditation on war there's a range of levels in action here. The dialogue has a stilted quality to it, giving the impression that it has been translated from its first language. This works well with the German setting of the plot.

The effort that has gone into putting this superior comic together is well hidden behind the crisp simplicity of the presentation. Lisa and Gerry make it look easy to produce an intelligent graphic narrative. If only it were so.

In a word: Sophisticated


Check out the press release for issue 4:

UBERBABE COMIC 4: 'LITTLE BIG IT' COMES ALIVE, JC PONDERS IMMINENT DEATH

LOS ANGELES, CA; VANCOUVER, BC - Guerrilla entertainment company, sugarlab, announces the publication of the fourth and final comic in the first überbabe comic series, "überbabe 4: same as it ever was". The story rockets to San Francisco circa 2001 where überbabe plays media analyst while the old greed new speed American stock market swell is staggering stage left to the boom boom swagger of too many red bull and vodkas. Enter Little Big It, the Ultra Prez come Monkey King, who's getting ready to get his war on. The überbabe is not amused. Meanwhile, back in Jerusalem, JC and friends ponder the end of days and simian evolution.

Comic 4 kicks the story wide open, drawing from the present day back to the time of Christ, and introducing überbabe kinda' nemesis number one, Little Big It, the main player in the modern variation of the centuries-old "evil is just a harsher degree of right" battle of planetary proportions. The sly rise of Little Big It is seen through the eyes of many intrigued adversaries, all of whom wait for a not far off apocalyptic day. But apocalypse is in the eye of the beholder?

"This issue sashays straight into the mean heart of the 21st century West," says Lisa Voldeng, überbabe creator/writer and sugarlab chief, "laying the groundwork for the epic story arc of series 2. So tune in now for the beginning of the end of the beginning broadcast." The first comic series careens around the 20th and 21st centuries: from Japan, where überbabe is first seen; to World War I Germany, where she is treated by Dr. Alzheimer; to Weimar Germany during Hitler's rise to power, to the present, where a dark and ancient conspiracy is coming to a chaotic climax.
Continuing to work with artist Rebecca Dart, comic 4 stylistically pays homage to 70s blaxploitation classics like Darktown Strutters, blending fat, rich lines with the sleek graphic style for which the überbabe comics are becoming favored. Coming in at 24 pages, comic 4 is printed 7 inches square in a palette of black, white and gold, moving to full color. Continuing to play with form, issue 4 includes a companion poster and downloadable audio tracks. It can be ordered through Diamond Comics' Previews now; it will be available in stores in June.
May the überbabe be in you.
Comics are available in comic stores across North America, courtesy of Diamond Comics. Comic 4 can be pre-ordered from the Diamond Previews catalog. überbabe clothing and comics are also available at boutiques in Los Angeles, such as Le Tete and XYZ Accessories, as well as in Vancouver. The first electronic music tracks are available for download on http://www.uberbabe.com, in advance of a music soundtrack slated for later this year. The überbabe fall line, including denim, will be shown later this spring in tandem with the completion of the first comic series.



about sugarlab:
sugarlab is a guerrilla-style entertainment and consumer goods company. It was founded in 2001 by Lisa Voldeng; founder of digital mogul, a California-based entertainment technology consultancy. sugarlab aims to create intelligent, irreverent entertainment and consumer products that resonate with its audience, pushing the boundaries of the superhero genre with more than just 'wham bam buy my gear thank you ma'am' branding. Currently sugarlab is creating comics, music and clothing for its überbabe character. Advisors include Andy Orgel, Co-Founder MTV; Ron Sobel, previously VP Creative Affairs, ASCAP.
 
For more information, visit http://www.uberbabe.com