FF1996: Coventry

(December 24, 2016)

Coventry #1-3 by Bill Willingham. Willingham is known these days for writing Fables, the Vertigo series re-appropriating fairy tale figures, but in the 90s he was doing things like Ironwood and Time Wankers for Eros Comix, the Fantagraphics imprint. I think I assumed at the time that Coventry was more of the same, but it … Continue reading FF1996: Coventry

FF1992: Trailer Trash

(December 23, 2016)

Trailer Trash #1-9 by Roy Tompkins. If you were to rifle through Trailer Trash, you would probably assume that this was going to be a book of nihilist violent gross-out fun like, say, Angry Youth Comics. The internal monologues from the viewpoint characters keeps on coming, which seems rather outdated these days, I guess: Every … Continue reading FF1992: Trailer Trash

FF1993: Idiotland

(December 22, 2016)

Idiotland #1-7 by Doug Allen and Gary Leib. Doug Allen is best known for Steven, I think, while Leib has appeared in a number of anthologies. Idiotland was a shared series: They both do solo pieces, but the majority of the work seems to be collaborative. This is a humour anthology with about half a … Continue reading FF1993: Idiotland

The Best Comics of 2016

(December 21, 2016)

Another year gone, and another group of comics that migrated to the “hm, that was interesting” little bookshelf thing in my living room after I’d read them. Let’s have a look, first at the books that were actually published in 2016. Since that’s the name of this blog post. Logical, right? I’m very logical. Late … Continue reading The Best Comics of 2016

My New Concert Blog

(December 21, 2016)

FF1993: Palestine

(December 21, 2016)

Palestine #1-9 by Joe Sacco. Last time we visited Sacco (which was with Yahoo), we saw that he had gotten a burgeoning interest in journalism, war and Palestinians. So doing an extended reportage tour to Palestine (and Israel) and a comic book series was the logical progression from that. Tackling a serious subject doesn’t mean … Continue reading FF1993: Palestine

FF1996: Villa of the Mysteries

(December 20, 2016)

Villa of the Mysteries #1-3 by Mack White. My goal for this blog series was to (re-)read all Fantagraphics comic book comics, but, dear reader, I have to let you know that I failed! Failed, I tell you! I have been unable to acquire the third issue of this comic, even going so far as … Continue reading FF1996: Villa of the Mysteries

FF1991: A Couple of Winos

(December 19, 2016)

A Couple of Winos by Matthias Schultheiss from a story by Charles Bukowski. Fantagraphics’ early attempts at publishing European comics was often rather awkward, trying to fit material made for different formats into something they could entice an American audience to buy. But this time it kinda works. Schultheiss’ artwork here looks like a mash-up … Continue reading FF1991: A Couple of Winos

FF1991: Check-Up/Unseen

(December 18, 2016)

Check-Up #1, Sight Unseen by James Sturm. We last saw James Sturm just a few days ago in this blog series with his Cereal Killings comic book. Check-Up seem to be going for a classic Fantagraphics single author anthology vibe: It’s even published in magazine size, just like Neat Stuff and Lloyd Llewellyn. So you … Continue reading FF1991: Check-Up/Unseen

WFC Slovakia: Obrazy starého sveta

(December 17, 2016)

Utterly entrancing. I’m not sure how much of it is real, though. It seems to present itself as a documentary of sorts, and some of the people (or characters) we see seem rather, uhm, unlikely. If it’s all real, the film-makers are kinda cruel with their subjects. I couldn’t believe it when I saw the … Continue reading WFC Slovakia: Obrazy starého sveta

WFC Bosnia and Herzegovina: Go West

(December 17, 2016)

This DVD edition was pretty unsatisfactory. It’s windowboxed and interlaced, so it’s pretty low resolution, which makes everything… ugly. This film is exactly like Some Like It Hot, but with atrocities and ethnic cleansing. It veers wildly between sincere horror and absurd comedy. And sometimes tender comedy. I appreciate what they were trying to do … Continue reading WFC Bosnia and Herzegovina: Go West

FF1991: Loose Teeth

(December 17, 2016)

Loose Teeth #1-3 by Scott Musgrove and Brian Sendelbach. Both Musgrove and Sendelbach had appeared in various anthologies before doing Loose Teeth together. This series has solo pieces from both of them, but they also collaborate on a number of stories. The first issue opens with a competition of sorts: Readers are invited to send … Continue reading FF1991: Loose Teeth

WFC Colombia: El abrazo de la serpiente

(December 16, 2016)

How delightfully perverse to do a black-and-white film set in the Amazon. And there should be an expression for “road movie” that takes place on a river. But all throughout this film (which is mostly pretty amazing), I was thinking “they’re going to do the ‘insane in the jungle’ cliche complete with atrocities”, and they … Continue reading WFC Colombia: El abrazo de la serpiente

WFC Chad: Daratt

(December 16, 2016)

This is a fascinating and original film. The confusing thing is that we don’t see them selling any bread whatsoever. Is it all charity? Dry Season. Mahamat-Saleh Haroun. 2006. Chad. Karkanji half a liter of water a small handful of dried hibiscus flowers some slices of ginger root 1 cinnamon stick 3 cloves sugar to … Continue reading WFC Chad: Daratt

FF2004: The Mystery of Woolverine Woo-Bait

(December 16, 2016)

The Mystery of Woolverine Woo-Bait by Joe Coleman. This is the third and final internet-acquired comic for this blog series (sorry!): Some books are just impossible to find. I can perhaps understand the scarcity of copies in this case. Joe Coleman is a pretty famous artist, and this is his only published comic book. That … Continue reading FF2004: The Mystery of Woolverine Woo-Bait

FF1992: The Cereal Killings

(December 15, 2016)

The Cereal Killings #1-8 by James Sturm. This series passed my completely by when it was released in the 90s. I’ve read most of his later stuff, like Market Day and The Golem’s Mighty Swing, which are both very earnest, so I was curious what a book with such a punny name would read like… … Continue reading FF1992: The Cereal Killings

The Best Albums of 2016

(December 14, 2016)

Once again, Emacs has tallied up what albums I’ve listened to most this year, and must therefore be the best music released in 2016. Grumbling Fur Preternaturals Dani Siciliano Dani Siciliano Anohni Hopelessness Babyfather Meditation PJ Harvey The Hope Six Demolition Project Copeland & Gast Sisters of Control DJ Nigga Fox Noite e dia Lolina … Continue reading The Best Albums of 2016

FF1988: Yahoo/Spotlight

(December 14, 2016)

Yahoo #1-6, Spotlight on the Genius That Is Joe Sacco by Joe Sacco. We last saw Sacco in this blog series in Centrifugal Bumple-Puppy (by emacs! When was that? This summer? Feels like several years ago…). Sacco was the editor of this quite successful humour anthology (well, artistically, not commercially, I guess), and he went … Continue reading FF1988: Yahoo/Spotlight

FF1996: Art & Beauty Magazine

(December 13, 2016)

Art & Beauty Magazine #1-2 by Robert Crumb. I should have covered this series in the other Crumb blog post, but I just couldn’t find the second issue anywhere. I still haven’t, so, er, a copy fell off a truck. On the internet. And landed in my tablet. That’s my story and I’m sticking to … Continue reading FF1996: Art & Beauty Magazine

FF1995: Schizo

(December 12, 2016)

Schizo #1-4 by Ivan Brunetti. I remember reading the first two issues in the mid-90s and being really impressed by their intensity. In my mind, the books were like a midway point between Scott Russo’s Jizz and Johnny Ryan’s Angry Youth Comix. That is, on the continuum from pure misanthropic rant (Jizz) to pure misanthropic … Continue reading FF1995: Schizo

FF1991: Playgrounds

(December 11, 2016)

Playgrounds #1 by Peter Rees. In the Obscure Fantagraphics Publications Derby, I think this probably takes the prize: I can’t find any reviews of it on the web or in The Comics Journal, but a mention in a comments page tells me that this was originally published in New Zealand, and then republished by Fantagraphics. … Continue reading FF1991: Playgrounds

WFC South Africa: Skoonheid

(December 11, 2016)

What the fuck did I just watch? OK, the actors are great, as is the cinematography, but this is the creepiest film ever. I guess it’s a tale of literally literally insane lust. I loved the scene where he was sitting in the cafeteria staring at the couple, though. Most memorable line: “No faggots, no … Continue reading WFC South Africa: Skoonheid

WFC Netherlands: De vierde man

(December 10, 2016)

This is a very inventive and somewhat amateurish early from Paul Verhoven. I have a sneaking suspicion that he’d seen films from both Davids Lynch and Cronenberg at this point. Such a strange film. There are bits I like enormously, but the pacing just seems… off. And most of the actors are pretty dire. I … Continue reading WFC Netherlands: De vierde man

WFC The Democratic Republic of the Congo: Viva Riva!

(December 10, 2016)

Love the cinematography and the colours, the actors are pretty good, and it’s an intriguing story line. But there’s something awkward about the way it’s been edited. Still, a really pleasant surprise. But, man, those Angolan villains were eeevil. And I didn’t understand why the commander didn’t just shoot them when she met them. I … Continue reading WFC The Democratic Republic of the Congo: Viva Riva!

FF1998: Evil Eye

(December 10, 2016)

Evil Eye #1-12 by Richard Sala. Sala is one of the more distinctive stylists in American comics. Like Charles Burns, he appeared on the scene in the early 80s, fully formed, with an art style like nobody else, and with a narrow range of subjects for his comics. Burns was mostly about growing up and … Continue reading FF1998: Evil Eye

WFC Bhutan: Phörpa

(December 9, 2016)

This is a very original film. The actors (presumably non-professional) are a bit stiff and awkward, but it’s weirdly appropriate. The plot sounds very high concept (it’s about football mad Tibetan monks (in India)), but it’s also about Tibet and China and exile and recurring jokes. It’s both fun and really interesting. The Cup. Khyentse … Continue reading WFC Bhutan: Phörpa

FF2004: Trucker Fags in Denial

(December 9, 2016)

Trucker Fags in Denial by Jim Blanchard and Jim Goad. This is a collection of a monthly single page comic that was originally serialised in Exotic magazine. Jim Blanchard is perhaps still most famous as the inker for Peter Bagge’s Hate in the 90s, but he’s also released a number of solo collections. This comic … Continue reading FF2004: Trucker Fags in Denial

FF1994: Pressed/Weasel

(December 8, 2016)

Pressed Tongue #1-3, Weasel #1-7 by Dave Cooper. In my mind, Dave Cooper was part of a movement towards “body horror” in 90s comics, as exemplified by Renée French, Al Columbia and (somewhat earlier) Jim Woodring. All these artists are technically proficient and create dark, “squishy” pages that straddle the line, uneasily, between horror and … Continue reading FF1994: Pressed/Weasel

FF1982: Hugo

(December 7, 2016)

Hugo #1, Hugo (second series) #1-3 by Milton Knight, jr. Hugo was, I think, Fantagraphics third comic book (after, ahem, Flames of Gyro and Love and Rockets). It’s been a while since I’ve read these comics. I can’t imagine I’ve looked at them since they were published, so that’s 30 years? Let’s re-read. The first … Continue reading FF1982: Hugo

FF1986: Anything Goes!

(December 6, 2016)

Anything Goes! edited by Gary Groth. I just realised that the end was in sight for this blog series, so my enthusiasm returned. There may be some slight pauses before we get to the end, as I’m waiting for some issues to arrive to complete some runs… Anyway! Anything Goes! is, perhaps, not formally a … Continue reading FF1986: Anything Goes!

FF1989: The Natural Inquirer

(December 5, 2016)

The Natural Inquirer by R. L. Crabb. Crabb is mainly known for his underground series Tales of the Jackalope. This book has a few pages of jackalope lore, but most of the pages concern other species like: The is not a comic book per se, but is just a series of these drawings and descriptions. … Continue reading FF1989: The Natural Inquirer

FF2006: Uptight

(December 4, 2016)

Uptight #1-5 by Jordan Crane. This is one the very last floppies Fantagraphics has published, and it doesn’t look much like Fantagraphics comic book comics usually look. There’s no verbose indicia (“any similarities to etc”), no UPC code, it’s cheap, the cover stock is the same as the interior stock, and the first three issues … Continue reading FF2006: Uptight

FF2003: The Pogostick

(December 3, 2016)

The Pogostick #1-2 by Al Columbia and Ethan Persoff. We’ve seen both Al Columbia and Ethan Persoff before in this article series, and here they turn up with a collaboration. This book has an unusual format, being smaller than standard-size comics and printed “sideways”. Sort of. Based on the indicia and guessing, this was probably … Continue reading FF2003: The Pogostick

FF2001: Angry Youth Comix

(December 2, 2016)

Angry Youth Comix #1-14 by Johnny Ryan. I guess Ryan works in the gross-out humour comics tradition exemplified by people like Sam Henderson, but he’s most similar to Ivan Brunetti in his most deranged moods. Or perhaps there’s a Mike Diana influence going on here, although I think Ryan probably doesn’t really mean it the … Continue reading FF2001: Angry Youth Comix

FF1994: Omaha the Cat Dancer

(December 1, 2016)

Omaha the Cat Dancer #1-20, vol 2 #1-4 by Reed Waller and Kate Worley. Reed Waller started Omaha in the mid-70s, and the earliest instalments were published in underground anthologies like Snarf and Bizarre Sex by Kitchen Sink. It’s an anthropomorphic tale of sex, politics and corruption that focuses on Chuck Katt (real name Tabey … Continue reading FF1994: Omaha the Cat Dancer