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Alternating Crimes has been a voice for original thinkers from North Carolina and nationally since the mid 1980’s where it began as a literary arts magazine that featured comics. Since those Reagan era horror infested days, it’s been a comic book that drove Hell Car and now it’s moved online exposing new alternating currents.

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Concrete Jungle Comix

Concrete Jungle Comix

Johnny is a concrete-obsessed boy in the throes of puberty, and according to his Dad, manhood can’t come soon enough.

Told in single panel sequential comic strip format, watch as a series of concrete-related adventures lead this family friendly strip that may make you think stuff like “This kid just might be onto something” and “Do I now love concrete?” to “WTF?” 

Then again, it may just remind you of yourself or someone you know who is driven by their own personal obsession!

A Brief History

Concrete Jungle began for me as a curious experimental comic strip about a concrete-obsessed boy and quickly evolved into a story about how a family deals with a member with an obsession.

Borne from one of co-creator Michael Bustin’s long-winded and often inspiring diatribe, leading him to describing Johnny’s obsession with concrete and its many uses. The idea seemed ridiculous as a comic despite coming from someone that was an obsessed owner of a concrete artisan company. But at the time, I was looking for something really unusual to pour my creative energy into, and this concept seemed as outrageous and untried as I had heard.

Developed from Michael’s brief descriptive paragraphs of potential story lines, together we collaborated various names and core character concepts. Everything else, for better or for worse, was my own. Mine were the huge chins, the single panel sequential art structure, the sometimes awkward gags meant to carry as much story and explanation as humor. Even the underlying social commentary that was sometimes weaved into the various plots were mine.

Whether it really is just an oddball concept or perhaps just as likely a part of the revolution that shows that sequential art can be used to elevate far more than powered heroes in tights. So, enjoy this sometimes sweet, wry and sometimes silly strip. You’re not likely to find another one quite like it.

It’s here! The complete collection is now available in one convenient downloadable digital-first edition.