Chris recently had the opportunity to be on the business end of the Wax Wombat’s “Five Questions With…” series and talks about all sorts of things from the origins of Reed Gunther, to other comic projects (Heeby Jeeby Comix), to what it’s like having to deal with me as his writer!

Here’s a taste, but be sure to read the whole article here!

1. You and your brother Shane work together on Reed Gunther. Does having family on board in this creative endeavor make it easier? What are the advantages? Disadvantages?

I don’t know whether it’s the fact that Shane is family or whether or not he’s just a swell guy, but having him with me on “Reed Gunther” has not only made the series easier, but possible. I created the loud-mouth cowboy Reed and his bear-pal Sterling a few years ago but when I wrote my first story with them in it, it was awful and I put “Reed Gunther” on the back burner.

Then, for Christmas in 2008, Shane gave me the script to “Reed Gunther and the Steak Snacking Snake!” just for kicks because apparently he liked a few of the things I had done with Reed and Sterling in the past. I read it and it was SO much better than the stuff I had tried writing. Shane really made the characters come to life, added a girl rancher named Starla, and a wacky big snake.

Working with Shane has been awesome. We’re both new to making comics but are on the same page with a lot of things. We know each other’s history and are great friends, and that makes for a pretty enjoyable partnership.

2. From what I’ve read of your comic, it appears to be more than just a funny old west yarn. There are strange idols, mole people, and stupid cows. How do you classify your comic? Science Fiction? Fantasy?

We’ve been calling it something along the lines of a “Comedy-Adventure-Western-Mystery” for all-ages. That makes sense, right?

Keep reading…

Hey folks,

Chris is currently signing away at Green Brain Comics, and to celebrate the event, his lovely fiancee Kassandra baked Chris this SA-WEET (in more ways than one ) Reed Gunther Cake!

Oh man, I really wish I wasn’t in California right now cause that cake looks GOOD!

Hope everyone is having fun at the signing!

-  Shane

The poster says it all!  Reed Gunther artist will be scribbling his name all over your precious copies of Reed Gunther over at Green Brain Comics in Dearborn, MI on February 10th, from 4-7PM!

Here’s the press release:

BEAR RIDING COWBOY SPOTTED AT DEARBORN COMIC STORE
ARTIST CELEBRATES NEW PRINTING OF COMICS WITH SIGNING AT GREEN BRAIN COMICS

[MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, DEARBORN, MI] Green Brain Comics is proud to announce an appearance by cartoonist Chris Houghton on Wednesday, February 10th at 4pm. Chris will be signing copies of his comic book series REED GUNTHER, which features the adventures of Reed and his best friend Sterling the bear.

Chris Houghton is a student at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit and a freelance illustrator. Along with his brother Shane, the two have created a big buzz around their comic series REED GUNTHER. “Chris was a guest at Green Brain on Free Comic Book Day in 2009 when REED GUNTHER was just a gleam in his eye.” says event coordinator Dan Merritt “And since then he and his brother Shane have self-published three issues of the series which has become one of our best selling all-ages comic books.”

Reed Gunther is a goofy and exciting all ages comic book independently created and produced by brothers Shane and Chris Houghton. Follow Reed Gunther and his trusty bear, Sterling, as they ride through the adventurous Old West! Whether they’re battling supernatural monsters, tracking down slimy villains, or catching a runaway train… you can bet they wish they were doing something else!

Among the comics available at the signing will be new printings of the first two issues “ Reed Gunther and the Steak Snacking Snake!” and “Reed Gunther in a Stalac-TIGHT Spot!“. Not only are these great fun and essential parts of the Reed Gunther mythos, but they also feature brand newcovers.

Chris Houghton will be signing from 4pm to 7pm. The signing will be followed by the Green Brain Comics Jam, a monthly gathering of local cartoonists. If you’re an aspiring cartoonist, bring your favorite pen and join in the fun of improvised comic pages. All are welcome and light snacks will be provided by your hosts.

Green Brain Comics is located at 13210 Michigan Avenue in East Downtown Dearborn. For more information check the website at http://www.greenbrain.biz or call 313-582-9444

Hey guys,

While we’re making some changes to the website, you may have noticed a new cover for Reed Gunther in a Stalac-TIGHT Spot.

Here is the brand new cover in all it’s new-ness:

Issue 2’s with this cover are not available just yet, but we did just send in an order to the printer so we should have copies with this fantastic new cover soon enough!

And again, sorry for the messy site, but we’ll get things fixed up!  We promise!

Chris and I are trying out some new ideas with the site and we apologize if it looks a little messy right now!

We wanted to change the site to have more of a “web comic” feel to it, where we can release pages of Reed right up at the top for people to check out and come back every couple of days to read a new page.  So right now, we’re experimenting with issue #1.

But with a new site (which will look a heck of a lot better in the near future), we’ll have all sorts of cool new things to check out!  Right now, you can see all of the pin ups from issues 1 and 2 in the Pin Ups section!

We’re working on ironing out the wrinkles and making everything look pretty, but for now, enjoy the new stuff!