A new locally produced comic book 
takes aim at current events in the Valley of the Sun.
Amazing Arizona Comics #1 is now available at local comic book shops. It’s the creation of Russ Kazmierczak Jr.,, who moved to the Valley as a kid in the late ’80s and has recently returned from a spell in California to find he had many observations about how the Grand Canyon State had changed. The issues tackled range from photo enforcement to illegal immigration — and fast-food clowns.
Here’s a description from the artist’s blog:
Enter: Speed Cameron! One part speed camera, one part impetuous teen, Cameron’s story quickly developed when Governor Jan Brewer decided to drop the traffic camera program, and in turn I decided that my new hero’s adventures could parallel current statewide events. And no statewide event has had more of a national, if not GLOBAL, impact than SB 1070. Consider it as another superhero battle analogy — with two definitive sides, and the safety of a group of helpless people caught in the middle. Writing a story around the immigration issue in Arizona, I couldn’t avoid the influence of Sheriff Joe Arpaio — a comic book character all by himself, with one part Commissioner Gordon, one part Norman Osborn — so I went whole hog and made him a critical part of Speed Cameron’s origin, more than you’d think from Amazing Arizona Comics #1. I’d concede it’s a gimmick, if these weren’t writing themselves every time I turn on the news!
Kazmierczak will be selling his comics and doing sketches tonight at Evermore Nevermore as part of downtown Mesa’s Second Friday event.
