Category: comics
TBE2019: Dejects: Life Is Hard and Damned Unfair
(November 26, 2024)Dejects: Life Is Hard and Damned Unfair (2019) by Jay Stephens All of a sudden this blog series is in 2019! The previous post was about a book published in 1998, so we skipped ahead 21 years. Black Eye is totally unique (I think) in rising from the dead like this — and certainly after … Continue reading TBE2019: Dejects: Life Is Hard and Damned Unfair
TBE1998: Black Candy
(November 25, 2024)Black Candy (1998) by Matt Madden Matt Madden! That’s a name I sort of vaguely remember, but have extremely positive vibes about… I don’t remember this book at all, though. Oops! Do I remember how to censor things on this blog… This blog was censored from linking from Facebook for over a decade, and that’s … Continue reading TBE1998: Black Candy
TBE1997: Paradise Sucks
(November 24, 2024)Paradise Sucks (1997) by James Kochalka This is another book that’s somewhat unusual for Black Eye to have been publishing. I bought it at the time, but it’s not until I got prepared to do this blog series that I realised that it wasn’t an Alternative Comics (or something) book. It’s printed on pleasingly off-white … Continue reading TBE1997: Paradise Sucks
Comics Daze
(November 24, 2024)Oops. I messed up my sleeping again, and now it looks like I’ll be up all night… So I guess I’ll catch up with some comics reading. I mean, I read so many older comics lately that I haven’t had time to read newer comics. It’s just hard. But since it’s in the middle of … Continue reading Comics Daze
TBE1997: A Complete Lowlife
(November 23, 2024)A Complete Lowlife (1997) by Ed Brubaker This is an odd book for Black Eye to be publishing. First of all, it a (partial?) reprint of a series published by Mu and Caliber, which isn’t something Black Eye used to do. But more importantly, this is autobio comics, which Black Eye had shied away from … Continue reading TBE1997: A Complete Lowlife
TBE1996: The Sands
(November 22, 2024)The Sands (1996) #1-3, The Sands (1998) by Tom Hart I read the first three issues back in the 90s, but I have not read the collected edition before. I have fond memories of the issues, though, so I’m looking forward to finally reading the whole thing. Ah, this is explicitly presented as a work … Continue reading TBE1996: The Sands
TBE1996: Berlin
(November 22, 2024)Berlin (1996) #1-4 by Jason Lutes There are few comics that all well-stocked comics shops feel that they have to have — perhaps just a dozen that you can expect to find anywhere? Maus, Persepolis, Fun Home… and perhaps Berlin? Of those perennials, it’s definitely less well known than the ones I mentioned, but it’s … Continue reading TBE1996: Berlin
TBE1996: Dear Julia
(November 19, 2024)Dear Julia (1996) #1-4 by Brian Biggs When reading comics from the 90s, it’s striking how many talented creators did basically a handful of books and then left comics forever. Biggs is a case in point: He did Frederick & Eloise over at Fantagraphics, and then a few appearances in anthologies, and then he shifted … Continue reading TBE1996: Dear Julia
TBE1995: A World of Trouble
(November 18, 2024)A World of Trouble (1995) #1-3 by Jeremy Eaton Oops! I claimed in a previous entry in this blog series that Black Eye (after a certain date) didn’t publish anything in the standard US comics format, but I’d forgotten about this series. Sorry for the fake news! Anyway, I’ve read quite a few books by … Continue reading TBE1995: A World of Trouble
TBE1995: New Hat
(November 17, 2024)New Hat (1995) by Tom Hart I’ve always loved Tom Hart’s comics, but like many of his cohort, they’ve been frustratingly rare. He burst on the scene with Hutch Owen’s Working Hard, I think? (A Xeric grant winner.) I always thought of him as coming from a similar place as, say, Jon Lewis and Megan … Continue reading TBE1995: New Hat
TBE1995: Jar of Fools
(November 16, 2024)Jar of Fools (1995) #1-2 by Jason Lutes Lutes had had a few appearances in a few anthologies before Jar of Fools was published, but the book took people by surprise: He self-published (using a Xeric Foundation grant; i.e. Teenage Mutant Turtle money) the first volume — and it was a 70 page book, which … Continue reading TBE1995: Jar of Fools
TBE1994: The Land of Nod
(November 15, 2024)The Land of Nod Treasury (1994), The Land of Nod (1996) #1-3 by Jay Stephens Up until now, Black Eye had published all their comics in standard US comics size (except for the two magazine-sized issues of Sputnik). So the Land of Nod Treasury represented something of a rupture in Black Eye’s publishing, because from … Continue reading TBE1994: The Land of Nod
TBE1994: Dance Me Outside: The Illustrated Screenplay
(November 14, 2024)Dance Me Outside: The Illustrated Screenplay (1994) adapted by Nick Craine I remember seeing this book in the stores at the time, but I didn’t pick it up because I though “eh, if there’s one thing I hate, it’s comics that read as if they’re movie scripts”, and this is presented as an adaptation of … Continue reading TBE1994: Dance Me Outside: The Illustrated Screenplay
TBE1994: Human Remains
(November 13, 2024)Human Remains (1994) by Darren Raye and Sean Scoffield This comic seems to place a lot of weight on appearing serious. “Sophisticated”. So we open with… … a bunch of title pages, and now that the reader is in a properly serious state of mind… … it’s a story (in three parts) about a guy … Continue reading TBE1994: Human Remains
Comics Daze
(November 13, 2024)Geez, I’ve gotten so many comics (from all over the place) over the last couple weeks. I’ve got days and daze to go before I sleep. And for music today: Only albums from 2024. Merope: Vėjula 12:26: Grand Electric Thought Power Mother by Lale Westwind (Perfectly Acceptable Press) I was surprised when I got this … Continue reading Comics Daze
TBE1994: Atomic City Tales
(November 12, 2024)Atomic City Tales (1994) #1-3, Atomic City Special (1995) #1 by Jay Stephens Oops! I messed up. I have to copies of Atomic City Special #1, but no copies of Atomic City Comics #1. So this blog series is going to be less than complete, but I’m not fixing that, because I already covered this … Continue reading TBE1994: Atomic City Tales
TBE1993: Sputnik
(November 11, 2024)Sputnik (1993) #1-2 edited by Michel Vrána Vrána had edited the (very good) Reactor Girl anthology, and here he’s starting a new one. Reactor Girl was quite unassuming, but Vrána seems to want to class things up here. We have “Departments” and “Features”, but no “Manifesto”. And it’s magazine sized, and is printed on aggressively … Continue reading TBE1993: Sputnik
TBE1993: Sin Comics
(November 10, 2024)Sin Comics (1993) #1-2 by Jay Stephens The Sin series ran for five issues over at Tragedy Strikes Press, and now we have Sin Comics. It’s not really explained why the book was renamed/renumbered — Pickle continued with a #2 at Black Eye, after all. But perhaps it’s just a reflection of Stephens’ restlessness — … Continue reading TBE1993: Sin Comics
Random Comics
(November 8, 2024)Hey, I read some comics this past week. Let’s have a peek… These are the last three collections of war comics Hugo Pratt did for the Britishers in the early 60s. The reproduction is variable, and some of the stories are pretty bad, but on the whole, reading these has been a very positive surprise. … Continue reading Random Comics
TBE1992: Pickle
(November 8, 2024)Pickle (1992) #1, Pickle (1993) #1-11 by Dylan Horrocks With this blog post, we get to the first actual Black Eye book, and Black Eye is the subject of this blog series, so it’s about time. The first issue of Pickle was published by Tragedy Strikes Press, and then moved to Black Eye when Michel … Continue reading TBE1992: Pickle
TBE1992: Sin
(November 7, 2024)Sin (1992) #1-5 by Jason Stephens I have to admit that I wasn’t quite sure whether “Jason Stephens” was the same guy as “Jay Stephens” — I mean, it would have been quite a coinkidink for Tragedy Strikes/Black Eye to publish two people with almost the same name, but Jason’s style seems so different from … Continue reading TBE1992: Sin
TBE1992: Way Out Strips
(November 5, 2024)Way Out Strips (1992) #1-3 by Carol Swain I re-read these books last time when I did the Fantagraphics blog series, but I wanted to read them again now, so here we go. Hey, foreword by Paul Gravett that gives some background as to how Swain started doing comics. Hm, perhaps I should do something … Continue reading TBE1992: Way Out Strips
TBE1991: Reactor Girl
(November 4, 2024)Reactor Girl (1991) #1-6 edited by Michel Vrána Oops, I’m only on the second post in this blog series, and I’m already three days behind schedule… Typical. I really enjoy a good anthology magazine. And for a publisher it can function as a tent-post publication if you can get it published regularly: While anthologies rarely … Continue reading TBE1991: Reactor Girl
TBE1991: The Cheese Heads
(November 1, 2024)The Cheese Heads (1991) #1-5 by Nick Craine Let’s see whether I remember how to do these blog posts… it’s been a while. Err… is that white balance correct? Perhaps it was a mistake to use a green background here… But let’s read the first four pages together. So, OK, very mysterious. And this seems … Continue reading TBE1991: The Cheese Heads
Total Black Eye
(November 1, 2024)Winter is coming, so I think it’s time to do another blog series about old comics. I did have some problems deciding what comics publisher to go for this time. Eclipse Comics was in many way the ideal publisher for this sort of thing — a wide variety of comics in various formats and genres, … Continue reading Total Black Eye
Comics Daze
(October 30, 2024)Hey, the world is going to end in six days because Kamala can’t make herself say “this might be controversial, but I’m actually against genocides”, so it’s time to read some comics, I guess. Lencinho: Belo Lo-Fi 06:29: Š! #53 (Kuš) This issue is all Czech artists, I think… It’s a denser issue than normally, … Continue reading Comics Daze
Random Comics
(October 27, 2024)Wow, it’s been a month since I did one of these posts… Oh, right, I was busy with other things for a couple of weeks, and then I went to the US for a week, and the last week I’ve been on the couch, coughing and watching Murder She Wrote while waiting for the rona … Continue reading Random Comics
Final Mag Sweep Part XXIV
(October 25, 2024)I thought I had a cold, but it turned out to be covid. *sigh* So I thought I might as well use the opportunity to take a feverish last sweep for magazines about comics for kwakk.info… One of the weirdest things this time around was the Figurines Marvel thing. Were these things included with Marvel … Continue reading Final Mag Sweep Part XXIV
The Dutch Exist, Too
(October 23, 2024)I’ve got a cold, so I was feverishly wondering whether I’d forgotten some European languages when expanding the search engine for magazines about comics to other languages. And then it hit me: Holland exists! And also that bit of Belgium where they speak kinda Dutch-ey! So I asked ChatGPT to cough up the names of … Continue reading The Dutch Exist, Too
I sort of agree that Swords of Cerebus 3 should be 18+ only
(October 20, 2024)*closes tabs*
(October 12, 2024)I think I’ve now done the major comics about magazines in French, Spanish, Italian and German for kwakk.info, but I may well have missed some; feel free to leave comments about interesting magazines and fanzines (of any language, really). In this latest batch we have a handful of mags, but a lot of issues: Dolmen, … Continue reading *closes tabs*
Sometimes those three letters change, though
(October 10, 2024)(Ads from four consecutive issues of LOC magazine.)
Magazines about bandes dessinées, tebeos, fumetti and Comic-Bücher
(October 9, 2024)I was asked whether kwakk.info was only for English-language magazines and fanzines about comics… and yes, it was. But there’s no reason why it should be, really. So now it’s not. Multi language search has its issues, though. Stemming (which is that thing where if you search for “house cats”, you also get pages matching … Continue reading Magazines about bandes dessinées, tebeos, fumetti and Comic-Bücher
Random Comics
(September 29, 2024)Here’s some comics I’ve read the past couple weeks… Not too heavy this time around — just 13 pounds. I bought these two issues of Raw Vision, an outsider art magazine — because they have articles about Mark Beyer. They’re pretty interesting magazines all over — lots of non-mainstream artwork. But the main attraction here … Continue reading Random Comics
This is the last one
(September 25, 2024)This is literally part forty nine in a series of blog posts where I say that I’m now done adding things to kwakk.info, the comics research site. Literally. But this time I’m done for real, because: That surely has to be enough. My main problem is that I keep coming up with new avenues to … Continue reading This is the last one
Comics Magazine Carousel
(September 20, 2024)When I visit web sites, I often look for a date somewhere. That is, I want to know whether I’m looking at something that’s been dead for years, or that’s being actively maintained. So I was reminded me that I hadn’t added that at all to kwakk.info, the site for comics research. So I was … Continue reading Comics Magazine Carousel
Miscellaneous Fanzines
(September 18, 2024)To keep the number of separate titles down in the kwakk.info search engine, I’ve avoided adding (most) fanzines about comics that only had a couple of issues, or where I could only find a very small number of the issues. But… why not stick them in a “misc” category? Why not indeed. And: Yes, there’s … Continue reading Miscellaneous Fanzines
Comics Daze
(September 17, 2024)It’s a lovely day, but I need a break from doing all the stuff with magazines about comics, so instead I’m going to read comics magazines. Makes sense. And for music today: Coil. Just Coil. By the way: The Ignatz Award winners were announced… and there’s good winners, of course, but I’m amused to see … Continue reading Comics Daze
kwakk.info tweaks
(September 16, 2024)I thought it might be interesting to provide a simple list of what the kwakk.info site has, so I whipped up this page. Hey, if you have any missing issues, I’m right here… Feel free to mail scanned issues to lars@ingebrigtsen.no or whatever. I also found some stuff to add, likeMarvel Previews. I mean, I … Continue reading kwakk.info tweaks
Yes, now there’s even more
(September 15, 2024)I’m still prattling on about Anna’s Archive and how to download magazines about comics from that thing, even though I said the last time I was going to stop. The main difficulty is to just know what the magazines are called, because there’s absolutely no useful organisation of the information there, and apparently no comics … Continue reading Yes, now there’s even more
Comics Fanzine Explosion
(September 13, 2024)Anna’s Archive has so many magazines/fanzines about comics available — who knew there were this many people enthusiastically scanning their magazines! — but it’s impossible to find anything there unless you know the names of the books you’re looking for. So I’ve been searching for “lists of comics fanzines” and the like, and there is, … Continue reading Comics Fanzine Explosion
Charlton Extravaganza On The Comics Re/Search Engine
(September 10, 2024)As I nattered on about yesterday, I was going to have a look around for more magazines/fanzines about comics, and I stumbled upon not one, but two Charlton fanzines: One from the 70s (Charlton Bullseye) and one more recent (Charlton Spotlight). So I’ve indexed them, and put them both on kwakk.info, available for searching. And … Continue reading Charlton Extravaganza On The Comics Re/Search Engine
RBCC (Rocket’s Blast & Comicollector) Now Searchable
(September 9, 2024)The kwakk.info comics re/search web site has, I think, most of the major magazines about comics now. One of the remaining “bigger” classic comics fanzines I had been totally unable to find any scans of was RBCC, Rocket’s Blast & Comicollector. It ran from 1964 to 1983, and had more than 150 issues. But then … Continue reading RBCC (Rocket’s Blast & Comicollector) Now Searchable
Random Comics
(September 3, 2024)Here’s some comics I’ve been reading the last couple weeks. This is a collection of an early (but apparently still-running) web series by Boulet (who I’m quite unfamiliar with). Nooo! The broken glass of a fridge shelf doesn’t go with the glass bottles! Noooooo Anyway, there’s an admirable variety to the art styles, and Boulet … Continue reading Random Comics
“I ignore all of his family teeth”
(September 3, 2024)I’m not complaining — I’m rather impressed by how good Google Translate is at parsing hand-lettered comics (even Annie Goetzinger’s handwriting). But one thing is curiously doesn’t know how parse is hyphens: So it’s “ses antécédents familiaux”, i.e., “his family background”, and not “his family teeth”. (“Dents” means “teeth”.) I’m learning French, and I can … Continue reading “I ignore all of his family teeth”
Comics Daze
(September 2, 2024)Today is a grey, rainy day, so it’s comics readin’ time. And for music today — Tuxedomoon and related, but with a smattering of Crepuscule albums. Various: Subterranean Modern 14:06: The Cutting Floor by Charles Burns This neat little book has sketches and pencils for work I haven’t seen. But it looks awesome! It’s from … Continue reading Comics Daze
Further Comics Buyer’s Guide issues added to the search engine
(September 1, 2024)I thought I’d take a look at archive.org again, and sure enough, a dozen and a half issues of CBG had been added since I did the initial import. Which isn’t a lot, but what the hey. You can now search them at kwakk.info, too. So if you’ve ever wondered whether Pacific licensed titles for … Continue reading Further Comics Buyer’s Guide issues added to the search engine
Random Comics
(August 19, 2024)Here’s some comics I’ve read over the past few weeks. 7.4kg! I knew that Hugo Pratt had done a lot of British war comics, but I had no idea that these have been made available again. Five volumes so far! Each volume has four 64 (!) page stories! Yowza! These were published in the early … Continue reading Random Comics
Comics Daze
(August 18, 2024)It’s comics readin’ time! Black Cab: Games of the XXI Olympiad (2024 remasters collection) 13:28: Mini Kuš #123-126 Sara Boiça’s book is low-key, but extremely insense. Majenye’s book consists of a number of shorter pieces — some of which are hilarious (a typical comic book convention is depicted above). Mark Antonius Puhkan’s book is gorgeous … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(August 9, 2024)I was going to go to the music festival today, too, but look: It’s pouring down! So I think I’ll stay on the couch and read the new comics I’ve gotten. And for music — let’s go with popular favourites from the 70s, because it’s that kind of day. Various: This Is Reggae Music 11:44: … Continue reading Comics Daze
Random Comics
(July 31, 2024)Here’s some comics I’ve read over the past few weeks… Carlos Giménez has been finishing all his various series over the last few years, and this book collects his final Paracuellos albums. And while the anger against the gruesome, horrible Spanish homes for children is still present, it’s a lot more mediated than in previous … Continue reading Random Comics
Comics Daze
(July 21, 2024)It’s a lovely day today for once, and I should probably be out frolicking with woodland creatures, but eh. That sounds exhausting! So comics it is. And today’s music is all Ray Aggs’ bands: Trash Kit, Shopping and Sacred Paws. I was a latecomer to their music — I discovered them in like 2021, and … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(July 17, 2024)I was in London last weekend and got a small stack of comics from Gosh Comics. And since today’s yet another rainy day, I’ve had to postpone cleaning the windows yet again (darn), so it’s comics readin’ time. And today’s music has to be from 1982, just because. Zazou, Bikaye & Cy1: Noir et Blanc … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(July 10, 2024)It’s a rainy day, and I got a whole bunch of comics in the mail yesterday, so it’s comics readin’ time. (Even though I don’t really have the time.) And for today’s music: Only stuff from the 4AD record label. Modern English: Mesh & Lace 13:37: DogHead Comics #1 by Dave Cooper (The Mansion Press) … Continue reading Comics Daze
Random Comics
(July 8, 2024)Here’s some comics I’ve read over the past few weeks — they’re almost all pretty big collections of older stuff. Over 7kg of comics! That’s 15 pounds for you (ex-)imperials. As all people of a certain age, I read and loved (the first four) Incal albums by Jodorowsky and Moebius, but I’ve never felt tempted … Continue reading Random Comics
Comics Daze
(June 30, 2024)I’ve done enough programming this week, so let’s get some comics readin’ done. And for today’s music — music from 1975 only. Joni Mitchell: The Hissing Of Summer Lawns 12:49: Hogbook and Lazer Eyes by Maria Bamford & Scott Marvel Cassidy (Fantagraphics) This starts off being the story of how the two creators met — … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(June 23, 2024)I really should be doing other things today (I’m in the middle of writing a Brand New And Exciting Package For Emacs), but look what I got in the mail yesterday: Yes! I big whopping box of comics from Domino Books! I’ve been slacking off on buying small press comics lately — mostly just because … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(June 12, 2024)I wasn’t planning on doing another comics reading day this week (since I’ve been reading so many comics lately), but then I remembered that I’m going away next week, and I’ll probably shop even more comics, so I should read the ones I already have first. Make sense? No? OK. And for today’s music: Only … Continue reading Comics Daze
Galaxy level trolling from Ryan North
(June 11, 2024)Comics Daze
(June 8, 2024)I was thinking about going to Oslo Comics Expo and buy some small press stuff, but it’s really pouring outside… or it was five minutes ago, and now it’s sunny!? OK, we’ll see — I may suddenly disappear. But in any case, today seems like a good day for reading comics, so let’s get started. … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(June 6, 2024)I’ve been doing too much computering the last week, so it’s time to read some comics instead. And all albums played today comes to you courtesy of the year 2015 (because why not). Véronique Vincent & Aksak Maboul: Ex-Futur Album 12:51: Causeway #14-17 by CF The previous issues has mostly been narrative, but a couple … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(May 30, 2024)Whattayouknow. I’ve got more comics, so today is a comics reading day. Aaliyah: Aaliyah 13:45: Frenzy by Tetsunori Tawaraya (Desert Island) This is a proper thick hardback book — I think this is the first I’ve seen from Desert Island? It reprints stuff previously published, though. And this is a collection of illustrations, no narrative… … Continue reading Comics Daze
A&R2008: Glamourpuss
(May 27, 2024)Glamourpuss (2008) #1-26 by Dave Sim So what is this, then? Sim’s first new series after Cerebus (well, he’d done the Judenhass book, but that was a one-off), and it seems like it’s a parody of fashion magazines or something? Did anybody have that as their “Next Dave Sim Thing” bet? (This is going to … Continue reading A&R2008: Glamourpuss
Random Comics
(May 21, 2024)I usually do comics blog posts by reading comics intensely for a day, and type a bit about each comic as I’ve read them. But I also randomly read a bunch of comics on other days, too, and now I’m just gonna type a bit about the ones I’ve read over the last week… if … Continue reading Random Comics
Comics Daze
(May 20, 2024)Gotta read some comics, eh? Might be a short Comics Daze today, though, because… I don’t have that many unread comics, for once. I think. And today’s music is all from 1989, just because. De La Soul: 3 Feet High and Rising 13:11: Filthyratbag by Celeste Mountjoy (Penguin Random House) This starts off being kinda … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(May 5, 2024)It’s a lazy Sunday, so even though it’s been just a few days since the last Daze, I guess I’ll just have to spend all day reading comics again. *pout* And today’s musical accompaniment comes courtesy of the year 1990. Skinny Puppy: Too Dark Park 12:14: Tender by Beth Hetland (Fantagraphics) Half a year ago, … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(April 29, 2024)Wow, I’ve gotten a lot of comics lately, and I’ve been busy with other things, so I haven’t had time to read them. So it’s time for another Day Of Doing Nothing Except Reading Comics. And for music today — albums from 1996 only. Because. Oval: 94diskont 12:27: Warnebi by Wiebke Boldvan (Fieldmouse Press) This … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(April 26, 2024)I had planned on going to London today, but then I didn’t, so now I’m reading comics instead. And for music… only albums from 1977-78. Just because. But before I start reading, I just wanted to mention this book I’ve been slowly working my way through over the past few weeks: Marvel February 1964. And … Continue reading Comics Daze
A&R2009: Cerebus Archive
(April 23, 2024)Cerebus Archive (2009) #1-18 by Dave Sim This is the next-to-last post in this blog series, but the final post will have to wait a couple weeks while I wait for some missing issues to arrive… Not that this (re-)reading is complete: I apparently forgot to buy issues #4-6 while the series was new, and … Continue reading A&R2009: Cerebus Archive
A&R2016: Cerebus in Hell?
(April 22, 2024)Cerebus in Hell? (2016) by Dave Sim and others I was going to do Glamourpuss today, but then it turned out that I’m missing issues #2-7… so I’ve ordered those, because after re-reading #1, I’m kinda interested in seeing how those early issues developed. So you’re getting a brief post about Cerebus in Hell? instead… … Continue reading A&R2016: Cerebus in Hell?
A&R2004: Following Cerebus
(April 21, 2024)Following Cerebus (2004) #1-11 edited by Craig Miller, John Thorne and Dave Sim What’s this then? Isn’t this a blog series about Renegade Press and Aardvark-Vanaheim, and isn’t this series published by Win-Mill Productions? Well, yes and yes, but: It’s presented as being “co-produced” by Aardvark-Vanaheim, and it’s basically another venue for Sim to spout … Continue reading A&R2004: Following Cerebus
A&R1995: Cerebus World Tour Book
(April 19, 2024)Cerebus Would Tour Book (1995) by Dave Sim and others OK, just (I think) three more posts to go, and we can put this Renegade Press/Aardvark-Vanaheim blog post series to bed (again). Cerebus is saying what we’re all thinking. This book is a sort of promotional tool for the self-publishers tour Sim was arranging around … Continue reading A&R1995: Cerebus World Tour Book
Shopping for Comic Books in Paris: Une odyssée
(April 17, 2024)I’m learning French, and I can read the basics now — my vocabulary is minuscule, so I’m still just reading French comics for children… but I’m visiting Paris, so I want to look at some comics! Comics! Comics! Yes! I crave comics shops! Cool comics shops, that have cool, French stuff — zines, screenprinted things, … Continue reading Shopping for Comic Books in Paris: Une odyssée
I assume Trina is getting royalties from this
(April 10, 2024)A&R1990: Cerebus: High Society
(April 8, 2024)Cerebus: High Society (1990) #1-25 by Dave Sim As with Cerebus Bi-Weekly, I found my copies dirt cheap at a sale, and I don’t have a complete set. But let’s have a quick look at them anyway. The design on these books is a lot more considered than on Cerebus Bi-Weekly — it looks more … Continue reading A&R1990: Cerebus: High Society
A&R1988: Cerebus Bi-Weekly
(April 7, 2024)Cerebus Bi-Weekly (1988) #1-26 by Dave Sim I had already read the Swords of Cerebus reprint volumes, so I didn’t intend to buy this reprint series. But I happened upon them on sale a couple years after they were published for almost nothing, and I picked them up. It’s not a complete run or anything, … Continue reading A&R1988: Cerebus Bi-Weekly
A&R1981: Swords of Cerebus
(April 6, 2024)Swords of Cerebus (1981) #1-6, Swords of Cerebus Supplement to Swords of Cerebus Vol. 6 (1984) by Dave Sim and others I hadn’t originally planned on covering Swords of Cerebus since I’ve already done Cerebus #1-25, and Swords of Cerebus reprints those. But what the hey — these are somewhat interesting in themselves. Sim doesn’t … Continue reading A&R1981: Swords of Cerebus
A&R2010: Cerebus Guide to Self Publishing
(April 4, 2024)Cerebus Guide to Self Publishing (2010) by Dave Sim So what’s this then? It was originally published in 1997, when self publishing was had stopped being a “movement” in comics, but I guess it made sense to collect all the essays on publishing that Sim had written (and published in Cerebus) over the years. And … Continue reading A&R2010: Cerebus Guide to Self Publishing
A&R2008: Judenhass
(April 3, 2024)Judenhass (2008) by Dave Sim You thought the nightmare of this blog series was over after Cerebus #300! Dunn dunn dunn… you’re wrong! I’ve got the post Cerebus Aardvark-Vanaheim books to go, and then some mop up of things I forgot to do the first time around. Sorry! Gotta be complete. Anyway. This was Sim’s … Continue reading A&R2008: Judenhass
A&R2003: Cerebus #289-300
(April 1, 2024)Cerebus (2003) #289-300 by Dave Sim & Gerhard Heh heh. Anyway, this blog post covers the final Cerebus collection: The Last Day. It starts with a double sized/double numbered issue, #189/#190. And… it’s all Bibley stuff. Cerebus is dreaming throughout the issue while God is apparently telling him how it really goes. I’m not sure … Continue reading A&R2003: Cerebus #289-300
A&R2001: Cerebus #266-288
(March 31, 2024)Cerebus (2001) #266-288 by Dave Sim & Gerhard OK, we’re finally getting towards the end of this blog series. Well, OK, after we finish with Cerebus, we still have some Aardvard-Vanaheim books to go — Judenhass, Cerebus Archives (oops) and Glamourpuss… er… OK, there may be like ten more posts because I forgot to do … Continue reading A&R2001: Cerebus #266-288
A&R2000: Cerebus #251-265
(March 26, 2024)Cerebus (2000) #251-265 by Dave Sim & Gerhard My incredible math skills tells me that I’ve got 15 issues to read today — the longest “book” since, I guess, Jaka’s Story or something? And I’m not looking forward to this one, which is “Form & Void”, which is the third book of Going Home. Amusingly, … Continue reading A&R2000: Cerebus #251-265
A&R1999: Cerebus #240-250
(March 25, 2024)Cerebus (1999) #240-250 by Dave Sim & Gerhard This blog post is about Going Home book two: “Fall and the River”, and I have to admit to being pretty fed up with doing these posts (yet again). I should probably take a break, but at this point I’d rather power through. But you’ve been warned! … Continue reading A&R1999: Cerebus #240-250
A&R1998: Cerebus #232-239
(March 24, 2024)Cerebus (1998) #232-239 by Dave Sim & Gerhard What’s this then? Only eight issues covered in this blog post? Isn’t Going Home a longer epic? Yes, indeed, as you can see from the inside front cover down here. But the first eight issues are the first book, “Sudden Moves”. And! When doing the collections, the … Continue reading A&R1998: Cerebus #232-239
A&R1997: Cerebus #220-231
(March 23, 2024)Cerebus (1997) #220-231 by Dave Sim & Gerhard OK, Rick’s Story. Guys ended with Rick (Jaka’s ex husband) showing up randomly at Cerebus’ tavern, and Rick’s Story continues on from that. And yes, Rick’s appearance there seems to be “at random”, i.e., guided by god, as is usually the case in Cerebus. Sim’s not very … Continue reading A&R1997: Cerebus #220-231
A&R1995: Cerebus #201-219
(March 22, 2024)Cerebus (1995) #201-219 by Dave Sim & Gerhard In this blog series, we’ve kinda sorta reached new territory for me. As a teenager, I read the first 50 issues many times — let’s say er seven times. And then I read the issues up to about #80 a handful of times. And now I’ve read … Continue reading A&R1995: Cerebus #201-219
A&R1994: Cerebus #187-200
(March 21, 2024)Cerebus (1994) #187-200 by Dave Sim & Gerhard In today’s sermon, we’re doing the final book of Mothers & Daughters — “Minds”. And at 14 issues, it’s the longest book, but oddly enough, the most focused one. Is that Sim? Or perhaps Astoria? Nah, she has a stronger jaw line, and she’d never wear that … Continue reading A&R1994: Cerebus #187-200
A&R1993: Cerebus #175-186
(March 20, 2024)Cerebus (1993) #175-186 by Dave Sim & Gerhard This blog post covers the third Mothers & Daughters book — “Reads”. The first issue here says that it’s going to run for 14 issues, but that’s revised down. I’m not sure whether it’s just a typo here, or whether Sim changed his mind. “Reads” is a … Continue reading A&R1993: Cerebus #175-186
A&R1993: Cerebus Number Zero
(March 19, 2024)Cerebus Number Zero (1993) by Dave Sim & Gerhard This was originally meant to be published in a poly-bagged, foil inked version with a holographic card (as a kind of comment/parody of what other publishers were doing around this time), but Sim decided that that would be too expensive a joke, so instead it’s came … Continue reading A&R1993: Cerebus Number Zero
A&R1993: Cerebus #163-174
(March 18, 2024)Cerebus (1977) #163-174 by Dave Sim & Gerhard This blog post covers the second of the four Mothers & Daughters books: “Women”. The main structuring device this time around are competing quotes from Astoria’s and Cirin’s books. If you’ve ever wondered what the difference between Kevillism and Cirinism is, you’re in luck! Other than that, … Continue reading A&R1993: Cerebus #163-174
A&R1992: Free Cerebus
(March 17, 2024)Free Cerebus (1992) by Dave Sim & Gerhard This book was published (in 60K copies, according to Sim, making it the Cerebus thing with the highest print run) to have something that shops could give to punters attending the Cerebus US Tour ’92. Makes sense to me. But what do you put into an introductory … Continue reading A&R1992: Free Cerebus
A&R1991: Cerebus #151-162
(March 17, 2024)Cerebus (1991) #151-162 by Dave Sim and Gerhard What? Another blog post in the Renegades and Aardvarks series? But that one ended two years ago? Yes, indeed. I stopped that series after the Renegade portion was complete, because after that I only had Cerebus to write about, and I didn’t feel I had more to … Continue reading A&R1991: Cerebus #151-162
Comics Daze
(March 10, 2024)I went to bed way too early last night, so here I am, up at four in the morning… I guess I’ll just have to spend all of today reading comics, then. And for music — albums from 1980 only. Joe Jackson: Beat Crazy 04:47: A Sister by Bastien Vivès (Ablaze) I’ve been reading a … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(February 29, 2024)Before we get to the comics today, let me digress a bit. There’s a new essay at Solrad about 2dcloud, and I went “where’s my popcorn! finally somebody’s going to make some sense of er it all”, but nope — it’s an even less than informative article about the sitch than you could imagine. Now, … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(February 25, 2024)It’s another lazy Sunday, so how about some comics reading? The last few times I’ve been going “well, I shouldn’t buy more French comics that I can only read veeeeery slowly; I should definitely wait, like, half a year”, so inevitably: Yes, I’ve bought more than 1K pages of Pratt/Oesterheld comics. I’ve read most of … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(February 16, 2024)So, I’ve been Duolinguing French for half a year now, but I still can’t really er read French with any comfortable speed, so it makes no sense to start buying French comics already. And look: I’ve managed to not go too wild. Right? Right! But I’ve been trying to find some comics that I can … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(February 4, 2024)Oops — I got so many new comics that I have to take a comics reading day again. Them’s the breaks. And since I’m feeling like a nostalgic Sunday, I’ll only be doing music from… let’s see… 1981. New Order: Everything’s Gone Green 12:09: Abysmalation by Josh Bayer (Birdcage Bottom Books) Eep. This is one … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(February 1, 2024)I’ve been doing French on Duolingo for half a year now, so I can’t read French yet. But it’s becoming harder and harder to hold back on shopping French comic, because soon… soon! Well, in half a year, perhaps? I’ll be able to read them! Oops! Look what I did. I’ve actually been reading Modeste … Continue reading Comics Daze
Indy Magazine: Now On Kwakk
(January 30, 2024)Oops! OK, I bought all the issues of what’s usually called Indy Magazine, scanned them, and put them on kwakk.info. So you can now do research into Elflord and stuff. There’s already 20 other magazines on kwakk.info where you can do research into whether Jack Kirkeby or Stan Lees created the Fantastical Four, but there’s … Continue reading Indy Magazine: Now On Kwakk
Comics Daze
(January 17, 2024)What the… Oh, this is one of those days… I think perhaps I won’t be going anywhere today? So perhaps I should just read some comics. xPropoganda: The Heart Is Strange 11:20: The Boy From Clearwater 1 by Yu Pei-Yun/Zhou Jian-Xin (Levine Querido) Oh, it’s an earthquake… I guess depicting action isn’t their forte… These … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(January 6, 2024)Merde! I’ve totally messed up my sleeping again, after being so good for yonks. That was a very late New Years Eve, and I guess I’m still working my way through that. Even so, getting up at one in the morning isn’t ideal, eh? So let’s see… if I read comics all night long, then … Continue reading Comics Daze
The Best Comics of 2023
(December 21, 2023)Wow, it’s been a really strong year for comics! OK, so here’s the deal: I read a whole lot of comics, and the very few that are super duper awesome move to a special book-case where I can gaze upon them, lovingly, while vast majority move into some cupboard or other. And at the end … Continue reading The Best Comics of 2023
Comics Daze
(December 20, 2023)Eep! I got a bunch more comics, so lets start reading. Test Card: Patterns 12:46: Monica by Daniel Clowes (Fantagraphics) This is, of course, the Major Publishing Event of the year, but for some reason or other, I didn’t get a copy until now from DCBS… Like everybody else, I was a big Clowes fan … Continue reading Comics Daze
Even More Comics Magazines Courtesy of Mrs. Kwakk Wakk
(December 16, 2023)I was poking around on the torrentses when I happened upon something called simply “Fanzine Torrent” (with no further information), and it had a single seeder, but I set it to download anyway. One week later: It’s a 120GB ball of various fanzines — but virtually all of them are sci-fi/horror/movie fanzines, which isn’t very … Continue reading Even More Comics Magazines Courtesy of Mrs. Kwakk Wakk
PX92: Un regard moderne
(December 16, 2023)Un regarde moderne (210x297mm) That’s some… cover. I think I’ll have to disable cross-posting on the Xitters and etc? Yup. No, wait, I can switch the “featured image” to something less aggressive than the cover image… I found this on ebay the other week, so I snapped it up. It’s got a sticker saying “Gary … Continue reading PX92: Un regard moderne
Comics Daze
(December 12, 2023)Yes, a new comics readin’ day, just a couple days after the last one. But before I start: I tried reading this book yesterday. I don’t know why I bought it — I distinctly remember “well, I’m not going to buy that one”, but then I did anyway? Because I’ve done my time in the … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(December 10, 2023)Man, it’s been a while since I did some comics readin’, and look what’s happened in the meantime: So. Many. New. Comics. Gotta get readin’. The reason for my lapse is twofold — I’ve been tinkering with the search engine for magazines about comics extensively, but the main reason for that is that I’ve had … Continue reading Comics Daze
A Panel From A Comic By Ana Pando Presented Without Comment
(December 10, 2023)More Search: Comics Buyer’s Guide and stuff
(December 1, 2023)The kwakk.info (re)search engine for magazines about comics went extremely mildly viral a few days ago, and reading the comments I went “Oops! I totally forgot about Ipads…” And indeed, the thing looked absolutely horrible there, so I gave it a spruce up (see above). I think it should be fine now — and it … Continue reading More Search: Comics Buyer’s Guide and stuff
And finally: The Comic Reader, Hero Illustrated and… FOOM!?
(November 26, 2023)OK, I said the previous post about the kwakk.info search engine for magazines about comics was going to be the last one, but then… I’ve added The Comic Reader, Hero Illustrated and FOOM. Yes, FOOM — Friends Of Ol’ Marvel. 🤷 And this is the final blog post on this matter, and I mean it … Continue reading And finally: The Comic Reader, Hero Illustrated and… FOOM!?
An Excerpt from Comics Interview Presented Without Comment
(November 25, 2023)Read more here.
Comics Magazine Search Engine Tweaks
(November 25, 2023)Sorry about all these posts about kwakk.info in a row — but as usual, after releasing a project, I find myself poking at it way more than before I released it, and I keep finding things to tweak. It’s classic — I always think something is feature complete, every day, and then the next day … Continue reading Comics Magazine Search Engine Tweaks
Comics Interview, Comics Feature and… Marvel Age!?
(November 23, 2023)Like I said the other week, I was wondering whether there were other collections of scans of magazines about comics, like, “out there”. And… it turns out that there are — so I’ve spent the day downloading from pirate sites, massaging/organising the scans to fit into the required layout for the search engine, and… presto. … Continue reading Comics Interview, Comics Feature and… Marvel Age!?
Comics Daze
(November 19, 2023)Oopsie! I’m awake in the middle of the night, and that’s not optimal, but since I got a bunch of comics the other day, perhaps I can read until morning, take a nap, and then read until night again? Let’s find out. And because it’s the middle of the night, I’ll only play rockin’ oldies … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(November 11, 2023)I got a big shipment of comics a week ago, but I’ve been sorta holding off reading them — not chomping at the bits to read them, really. Because this is mostly non-small-press books (Fanta, D&Q, etc), and the likelihood of being them middle-of-the-road books is greater… I mean, with movies and novels and stuff, … Continue reading Comics Daze
The Wizard Magazine Search Engine
(November 8, 2023)So I’ve been making various magazines about comics available for research, and… tada: Yeah, yeah… I’ve “found” Wizard Magazine scans on the internet, and I’ve spent the last day or so adjusting the files and running them through OCR. And you can now see the results here. I’ve never read Wizard Magazine myself, so I … Continue reading The Wizard Magazine Search Engine
The Comics Journal Search Engine
(November 7, 2023)Last week, I made the Amazing Heroes search engine public, so why not make the rest of the stuff public, too? So you can now search The Comics Journal and Comics Scene, too. Or you can search all three magazines at the same time, if you’re in Super Research Mode. As I noted in the … Continue reading The Comics Journal Search Engine
The Amazing Heroes Search Engine
(November 3, 2023)tl;dr: Click here for an Amazing Heroes search engine. Long-winded bloviating: I’ve been blogging about 80s comics lately, and a frustrating thing is how little information from that era that’s readily available when trying to do research. Fortunately, The Comics Journal people have scanned all the issues of that excellent magazine… but its focus is … Continue reading The Amazing Heroes Search Engine
Comics Daze
(October 26, 2023)I was gonna go to a concert tonight, but my back is acting up (I probably… slept wrong), so I think I’ll do a comics day instead. The vast majority of Today’s Reading are comics that I picket up at Gosh Comics in London last week. It’s a really nice shop — they’ve got all … Continue reading Comics Daze
OK, I guess I just have to buy them all
(October 21, 2023)(Gosh Comics, London.)
Comics Daze Micro Edition
(October 12, 2023)I’m leaving for London tomorrow, so I don’t have time to read comics all day today. But I got the most eagerly anticipated comic of the year in the mail yesterday (no, not that one), so I just have to read it before going away. Even though it’s apparently not meant to be read in … Continue reading Comics Daze Micro Edition
Comics Daze
(October 4, 2023)Hey! Where did this day go? It’s almost four already… OK, so this is going to be a shorter Daze because I think I’ll be falling asleep by midnight. But let’s see. And for music today: Only albums on the Crammed and Crepuscule labels. Aksak Maboul: Onze danses pour combattre la migraine 15:36: Starseeds 3 … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(September 28, 2023)I hadn’t planned on doing a comics reading day this week, but then I got a whopping new package of brand new comics in the mail… like ten kilos? I think this means that the Book Season is upon us — publishers like to get a certain kind of book out this time of year … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(September 24, 2023)Finally a day for reading comics again… I don’t know why I’m so busy these days, but Duolinguing French takes up a lot of time, I guess. After reading a Chantel Montellier comic book last month, I decided that it was time to finally learn French so that I can start buying French comics, so … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(September 16, 2023)Finally another day I’ve got nothing planned so that I can do some comics reading. David Bowie: Who Can I Be Now? (7): Young American 09:07: Mimosa by Archie Bongiovanni (Abrams) The artwork’s quite attractive — open and friendly, like. But while there are only four characters, I’m having a lot of trouble keeping them … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(September 12, 2023)I’m back from New York with a whole bag full of comics, so I guess I should start reading. And my sleeping is all messed up now again, so I’ll be reading until dawn or something? Probably. The first shop I visited was Forbidden Planet, which I hadn’t really planned — I just happened to … Continue reading Comics Daze
Pilgrimage
(September 2, 2023)Comics Daze
(August 20, 2023)Paul va a la gare. Je mange une chouette. Eep! I think might need a break from using Duolingo? So today is comics reading day. Astra King: First Love 13:35: 10-10 to the Wind by Cole Degenstein (Fieldmouse Press) This is about a (not so) lonesome trucker, and it’s got a really great flow. Great … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(August 15, 2023)Music festival’s over, so it’s about time to get some comics reading done. Rival Consoles: Now Is 14:02: Social Fiction by Chantal Montellier (New York Review Comics) I’ve only read one comic book by Monellier before — and that was like forty years ago, and there’s been nothing translated into any language I understand since. … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(August 6, 2023)I spent all day yesterday reading comics, so why not spend all day today reading comics, too? You know it makes sense. Yoko Ono: Yes, I’m A Witch, Too 12:17: Thomas Girtin: The Forgotten Painter by Oscar Zarate (Selfmadehero) I know, I know — these comics artists biographies are seldom any good, but this is … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(August 5, 2023)Over the past year, I’ve been picking up quite a few comics from a Swedish publisher I was unfamiliar with: Lystring. So the other week, I was thinking… “perhaps what they’ve published earlier is still available?” Presto: Mua ha ha. But I’m not going to be reading all Swedish comics today, because I’ve also apparently … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(July 22, 2023)It’s another rainy day, so… comics! This time around I’ve got a bunch of small press comics — both from the UK and from the US (including a whopping package from Domino Books). I’ve also been shopping at a sale here at a local comics shop, as well as getting some corporate comics. My inclination … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(July 11, 2023)Got a whole lot of comics yesterday… mostly mainstream stuff, but let’s start off with this month’s Desert Island Mystery Box. Steve Reich: Reich-Richter 13:44: Aeon 6 by Jules Naleb (Peow) This uses a fairly standard post-apocalyptic setup (deserts etc)… … but it’s quite affecting. It’s got a real mood going on. It’s mostly fight … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(July 3, 2023)It’s a rainy day, so why not read comics? Right. But before I start, I want to mention this book I read the other day: 14:21: Charlotte Salomon by Life? or Theatre? (Waanders) Charlotte Salomon painted a whole lot of paintings that incorporated text, and they supposedly tell a narrative, so it’s comics kinda? She … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(June 23, 2023)I was gonna do something completely different tonight, but then the balcony called to me. Let’s see if I can do comics dazing out here… Hm… looks like the wifi is marginal, so my camera takes forever to upload images. Let’s try it anyway. Kitchens of Distinction: Watch Our Planet Circle (6): John Peel & … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(June 20, 2023)This week was supposed to be all sunny and stuff, but instead it’s pouring down today… so it’s a perfect day to daze with some comics, I guess? Kitchens of Distinction: Watch Our Planet Circle (2): Strange Free World 14:47: Island 3 #1-5 by Lando (Decadence Production) Many of today’s comics arrived from 50 Watts … Continue reading Comics Daze
PX11: The Land Unknown
(June 20, 2023)The Land Unknown by Gary Panter (170x261mm) This book was published (in France, but in English) in 2011, and I’ve somehow never seen a copy before. I happened onto this one in the 50 Watts Books store, but I see that it’s still available from the publisher here, and for just €15. So it’s (still, … Continue reading PX11: The Land Unknown
Comics Daze
(June 14, 2023)I wasn’t gonna take a comics reading day today, but now I’m doing it anyway. But a short one, since I’m starting this late. Probably. A Certain Ratio: Loco Remezclada 16:18: Anachro Magazine #1 edited by Floyd Tangeman (Deadcrow) I got this yesterday, and as I was unpacking the package, I was going… er… what’s … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(June 3, 2023)Got a big shipment of exciting stuff yesterday, so it’s comics readin’ time! Matthew Herbert: The Horse 13:37: Causeway #8-9 by CF And what’s more exciting than getting new stuff from CF? I don’t know what this is all about, but it’s fun nontheless. And very mysterious. Love it. 13:45: Junction Box by James Tonra … Continue reading Comics Daze
Rob Liefeld Vindicated!
(June 1, 2023)For decades, people have ridiculed Rob Liefeld for this masterful drawing of Captain America: People have speculated what Liefeld was thinking when he draw… that… drawing… like: But now, finally we know where Liefeld got this pose from: Liefeld was right all the time! VINDICATION!
Even More Goshenite Tweaks
(May 31, 2023)Remember a couple of days ago when I said that I had refreshed the Diamond/Lunar previews web site I’ve been doing for a few years? No? But when I first start futzing around with a project, more and more little annoyances become clearer, and improvements present themselves, so I always end up sitting for days, … Continue reading Even More Goshenite Tweaks
DC Comics is Back on Goshenite
(May 29, 2023)I’ve now updated the world’s least-used (certified by the Guinness Book of Records) service, Goshenite, so that it also scans the DC portions of the Lunar Distribution previews — it no longer just gets data from Diamond Distribution. OK, since nobody knows what Goshenite is, I should probably explain a bit, right? Right. So, I’m … Continue reading DC Comics is Back on Goshenite
Comics Daze
(May 26, 2023)I got a whole bunch of comics in the mail yesterday, so it’s a comics readin’ day today. This time around, the comics are from all over — that is, mostly ordered directly from publishers and stuff, and very little from shops. And I’m feeling kinda nostalgic today, so for music it’s (once again) gonna … Continue reading Comics Daze
Mr. Thomas Woodruff’s Francis Rothbart!: Not Really a Review
(May 21, 2023)I was idly browsing twitter when I saw the news that Thomas Woodruff’s comic book had been nominated for four (!) Eisner awards, and my first thought was “man, the public relations dept at Fantagraphics have really done their jobs here” — presumably by sending copies of the book to all the Eisner judges, but … Continue reading Mr. Thomas Woodruff’s Francis Rothbart!: Not Really a Review
Comics Daze
(May 9, 2023)Wut! Another day of reading comics just a couple of days after the last one? Indeed. And for music today: Kate Bush Only. Kate Bush: Remastered (1): The Kick Inside 13:32: Irmina by Barbara Yelin (Selfmadehero) The artwork here is nice, and the storytelling has a good flow. But god, this is tedious. It’s about … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(May 7, 2023)It’s another lovely day, but I’m still not altogether mobile (although my ankle is definitely improving), so what about another day on the couch, reading comics? Sure. But before I begin readin’, I want to natter on a bit about some comics I read the other day: Yes! After almost 50 years (well, perhaps 45), … Continue reading Comics Daze
PX Stuff
(May 5, 2023)OK, perhaps I should remove my ebay alert for “Gary Panter”, because I’m starting to have a sufficient volume of Panter ephemera… James Dean, dude. “Back Again”. This blog post is part of the Punk Comix series.
The Entire Kitchen Sink Redux
(May 4, 2023)It’s done! Man, that took a lot longer than I had planned, but after a year and a half, I’m done with the Kitchen Sink blog (wherein I attempt to read all comics published by Kitchen Sink Press and then natter on a bit about them). And it’s not like it’s the first time I’ve … Continue reading The Entire Kitchen Sink Redux
Comics Daze
(April 29, 2023)It’s another lovely day, and I’m still stuck here on the couch with my twisted ankle, so let’s do some comics reading. (But I may have to take a nap in the middle because I had The Worst Night of Sleep Ever, for no reason at all.) Today’s musical accompaniment will be… random new-ish stuff. … Continue reading Comics Daze
PX Stuff
(April 23, 2023)This is a lighter produced by Zippo during the 90s, with a drawing of Jimbo by Gary Panter. Doesn’t look like it’s ever been used, even though it also looks kinda beat up? “Futility… grace of design”. Indeed. This blog post is part of the Punk Comix series.
Comics Daze
(April 20, 2023)What? Another Comics Daze already? I dazed just a couple days ago, but my foot is still sprained, so I’m still on the couch, so I might as well get some reading done… The other day, my mentis wasn’t all compos, so I just read mainstream comics. Which means that today, it’s gonna be heavy … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(April 18, 2023)Home sweet couch! On the way back from the Big Ears festival, I stopped for a few days in New York and was going to visit comics shops and get my shopping on and stuff. But instead I got a gastro thing, and ended up staying in the hotel room for a week… and also … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(March 5, 2023)OK, gotta read gotta read gotta read some comics. And for music, let’s got with… albums from 1975. Sure. David Bowie: Young Americans 16:45: Flake by Matthew Dooley (Jonathan Cape) Hm… the name seems familiar, but I can’t quite place it… Well, my immediate reaction to the artwork isn’t very positive — it looks like … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(February 19, 2023)It’s a pretty nice day today, but I gotta get some comics reading done. I was planning on cutting back a bit on my comics buying, but that plan hasn’t quite worked out. It’s like I’m still mentally stuck in an age where there was a dearth of comics worth reading, so whenever I see … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(February 6, 2023)You won’t guess what happened — I got more comics in the mail, so I better start reading unless I’m going to suffer a comics avalanche in the window there soon… And, again, my sleeping is all messed up (after too much paryting on Friday), so I want to listen to only old music. So… … Continue reading Comics Daze
PX Stuff
(January 31, 2023)PX Stuff by Gary Panter (280x320mm) This is a cloth patch, and I found it randomly on ebay. I have no idea what the provenance is — I think it has to be a brand new bootleg thing? Because the cotton hasn’t yellowed at all. But it looks pretty good, right? So now I just … Continue reading PX Stuff
Comics Daze
(January 29, 2023)I’m really looking forward to today’s stack of comics, because when The Comics Journal published their “best of 2022”, I went on a shopping spree to buy stuff that I’d missed. And a batch of those arrived the other day, and I’ve been raring to go. But first, the Desert Island Mystery Box also arrived, … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(January 23, 2023)It’s -10C outside, so I think today’s an excellent day to be a couch potato and read some comics. And for music… stuff from 1978? Why? Why not? Mars: 3E 15:25: Agent 327 (1966-1968) by Martin Lodewijk (E-Voke) I’ve been reading this collection lethargically over the last couple of weeks. Agent 327 is a Dutch … Continue reading Comics Daze
A Panel From A Comic Book Presented Without Comment
(January 20, 2023)The Entire Kitchen Sink Reloaded
(January 15, 2023)I started a complete (re-)reading of all Kitchen Sink comics in late 2021, and kept at it until August 2022, when I took a little break that turned into a half year break. I’d gotten up until 1991 in the Kitchen chronology, and there wasn’t anything really in the comics themselves that made me give … Continue reading The Entire Kitchen Sink Reloaded
Comics Daze
(January 7, 2023)Oops! I’ve totally messed up my sleeping again. But I’ve got comics to get me through the night… Various: A Message To The People: A Tribute To CONSOLIDATED! 02:49: Stripburger #48 I recently remembered that Stripburger still exists, so I got a bunch of issues. Here’s the oldest in the batch — from 2008. This … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(January 3, 2023)I got a whole bunch of comics from various places before the weekend, and I’m raring to get some comics reading done, even if I’m kinda sorta theoretically busy this week. Let’s see how this day goes — I might have to cut it short and actually, like, do stuff. Let’s hope not! Doing stuff … Continue reading Comics Daze
PX82: Sexy Politzei
(January 1, 2023)Sexy Politzei by Bruno Richard and others (215x305mm) I thought this blog series was over now for sure, but then I happened onto this book while spelunking the interwebs, and I thought it looked pretty interesting, so I finally scored a copy. The book is, according to all sources, by Bruno Richard, but I can’t … Continue reading PX82: Sexy Politzei
The Best Comics of 2022
(December 20, 2022)I’ve read stacks and stacks of comics this year — probably more than any year before. I guesstimate… about 1K books? It’s been one of those years. When I read a comic that grabs me, it migrates to a special little shelf in the living room where I can stare at it some more, and … Continue reading The Best Comics of 2022
Comics Daze
(December 20, 2022)The last Daze of the year, I think. But I may have to take a nap in the middle. Girls: Reunion 12:47: Detention no. 2 by Tim Hensley (Fantagraphics) Will Hensley ever release a #1 of anything? As someone who’s suffered through American lit., I never understood the fetishisation of Stephen Crane — it seemed … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(December 4, 2022)Brr. It’s cold outside, and it’s a Sunday, so it seems like a good day for reading comics. This time around, it looks mostly like bigger books (a few, if any, small press items). And since it’s December, only music from 2022. Boris: W 07:31: Walk Me to the Corner by Anneli Furmark (Drawn & … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Nitez
(December 1, 2022)Oops! I had a cold, and as is often the case when I’m Suffering So Much From A Light Sneeze, my sleeping patterns got all fucked up. So I thought I had it fixed now — but then I woke up midnight and couldn’t go back to sleep again. Grr. But I might as well … Continue reading Comics Nitez
Art Comics Finder
(November 29, 2022)Some years back, I wondered if anybody would step up and maintain, like, a site that lists comics shops worth visiting (when on vacation) and web sites worth visiting when shopping for interesting comics. That never happened. So now I’m just gonna start keeping this blog post updated with links and stuff. The first links … Continue reading Art Comics Finder
Comics Daze
(November 27, 2022)I’ve had a cold (well, still kinda coughy, really (no, not the rona)), and I’ve managed to screw up my sleeping patterns totally. So I got up at 16, which is… er… less than optimal. On the other hand, this means that I can spend all of the evening and the night and the morning … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(October 28, 2022)It’s a grey day, so I think comics are required. And this time around, I think I’ve mostly got Norwegian and Swedish comics? Lady Lykez: Woza 08:32: Jammerdalen by Flu Hartberg (No Comprendo Press) Hm… I think I’ve read some of his books before, but I think it was mostly absurd humour stuff? This starts … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(October 21, 2022)I wasn’t planning on dazing with comics any time soon, but then I got a bunch of new books in the mail the other day, and I need a break from taking a break, so why not. Everybody to the reading couch! Dry Cleaning: Stumpwork 12:32: Love and Rockets #12 by Gilbert & Jaime Hernandez … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(October 5, 2022)It’s a rainy day, so I think I’ll take the day off and read some comics. Mochipet: Gabber Face 14:06: Queen of the Black Black by Megan Kelso (Fantagraphics) I’ve read these comics a few times before, but this is a new edition? Uhm… Oh, I thought it was an expanded edition, because I didn’t … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(September 29, 2022)DHL was supposed to deliver a new laptop today, but then apparently changed their minds or something? So I’m drowning my sorrows in comics instead. And since I’m really melancholic, I’m going to play only albums from the early 80s that I had as a teenager. So there. David Byrne: The Catherine Wheel 13:48: Plaza … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(September 25, 2022)I’ve been going a bit over board with my comics shopping the past few months. I mean, nothing is better than comics, but it’s getting in the way of, like, doing stuff, so I should cut back a bit. It’s basically all the fault of Domino Books — not just because I’ve been buying lots … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(September 21, 2022)I need a break from computering, so a Daze day it is. Let’s go. The Waitresses: Wasn’t Tomorrow Wonderful? 14:20: Quaderni ucraini: Le radici del conflitto by Igort (Pax) This book is from 2010, but has gotten a Norwegian edition now. Igort has interviewed a few older people from Ukraine, and illustrates their stories. The … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(September 15, 2022)I’ve been continuing to order comics from diverse sources, and this week a got a nice little package from Domino Books (once again; he gets a lot of new stuff in), and from Breakdown Press, who I’ve never ordered directly from before… but unpacking, I was most struck by the books from Glacier Bay Books. … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(September 8, 2022)Late start today, dude. But I need a daze, so here goes. The Beatles: Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band (2) 15:24: The Deluxe Gimenez by Juan Gimenez (Humanoids) This is a very heavy book 2.5kg, printed on shiny paper, so I have to keep angling it *just so* to be able to read it. … Continue reading Comics Daze
A Panel from a Super-Hero Comic Book Presented Without Comment
(September 5, 2022)Comics Daze
(August 28, 2022)I don’t know quite how it happens, but I suddenly have a whole bunch of new comics to read. Darn? Comics from all the usual suppliers, but I’ve also discovered a new place to shop: 50 Watt Books. Look at that selection of comics. Just look at it! The also have a lot of cool … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(August 18, 2022)The mailman’s been busy — I’ve got packages from Denmark, from Deadcrow, from Domino and from Mile High Comics. A whole bunch of different things, and I need a break, anyway. So let’s get reading. And for today’s musical accompaniment, I think I’ll go full David Bowie. It’s that time of year. David Bowie: Space … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze European Edition
(August 5, 2022)This week, I’ve been shopping from some European publishers: Bries (Belgium), Avery Hill (UK) and Hollow Press (Italy). I’ve mentioned this before, but one of the most thrilling developments in European art comics has been that a lot of publishers are publishing in English, which increases the potential audience from dozens to several dozens of … Continue reading Comics Daze European Edition
Comics Daze
(July 27, 2022)Somehow I’ve managed to buy a whole lot more comics the last few weeks, so I guess it’s time to take time out and spend a day reading. It’s a hard knock life. See, it’s such an… awful day… that I just can’t go outside. Oh, whatever. Stephen Mallinder: tick tick tick 12:15: The Kurdles … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(July 6, 2022)I hadn’t planned at all on spending another day in a comics daze now, but I got, like, 20 kilos of comics in the mail this week. I’d forgotten that I’d put in orders with Glacier Bay, Uncivilized, and some Canadian art comics shop. What a shame! Now I have to read comics again. Moor … Continue reading Comics Daze
PX83: Hoo-Be-Boo
(July 5, 2022)Hoo-Be-Boo edited by Will Amato (168×260 cmmm) I finally managed to score a copy of this 1983 anthology, so let’s have a look at it. The book doesn’t say who the editor or publishers are, and a quick googling doesn’t reveal anything, either. But the address is in Torrance, California. Hm… This ebay page claims … Continue reading PX83: Hoo-Be-Boo
Comics Daze
(June 27, 2022)Man, it’s a wet day today. But… I can read comics! Yeah! Joni Mitchell: Night Ride Home 12:58: The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers: The Idiots Abroad by Gilbert Shelton & Paul Mavrides (Fantagraphics) Hm… the reproduction here is kinda odd? The linework looks kinda washed out (reproduced from a printed book, perhaps?) and the colouring … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(June 22, 2022)So busy busy, but finally I have a day to spend reading comics. (Except I may have to take a nap in the middle.) And… since it’s a sleepy kind of day, I think I’ll go with music from the late 70s only. Let’s get readin’. Neil Young: Time Fades Away with Where the Buffalo … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(June 12, 2022)Somehow I’ve bought even more comics… funny how that happens. So I guess I just have to spend all day reading comics if I want to be able to look out the window any time soon. And… I think I’ll go with 90s music once again. I somehow seldom listen to music from that decade? … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(June 8, 2022)Oops! I got a ton of comics! What a surprise. Just because I ordered a bunch — now I have to read them!? OK, let’s get started. With 90s music. Electrelane: No Shouts No Calls 14:49: Aurora Borealice by Joan Steacy (Conundrum Press) Yeah, I ordered a ton of books from Conundrum… Hm… this looks … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(June 3, 2022)Oh, deer. I’ve gotten another batch of comics, so I have to read for days. Such a harsh life. Sophie: Nothing More To Say 06:16: The Secret Voice by Zack Soto (Floating World Comics) Oops. I seem to have bought both the single issues from Study Group Comics as well as the collection from Floating … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comix Daze
(May 27, 2022)I really shouldn’t be taking a day off to read comics — I’ve got errands to run and stuff — but I’ve gotten so much stuff over the last week that I just have to. It’s a hard life. Various: PC Music Volume 3 13:56: Cixtite Impératrice by Anne Simon (Fantagraphics) Oh, this is the … Continue reading Comix Daze
PX2019: Wildest Dream
(May 26, 2022)Wildest Dream by Gary Panter (110x160mm) I don’t know how I missed this little book when I was actually doing the PX series — but the indicia claims that it was published in 2019. So this is a sketchbook… … and it’s really nice. I’m not sure how the pages were selected — they’re from … Continue reading PX2019: Wildest Dream
PX Stuff
(May 25, 2022)Screamers: Demo Hollywood 1977 (with a cover by Gary Panter). This illustration for Screamers was probably Panter’s most famous single image for a decade there in the 80s? Screamers used it for a series of posters at the time… and they’d be insane not to. That’s the best poster ever. I want one on my … Continue reading PX Stuff
PX Stuff
(May 24, 2022)Pray For Smurph by Gary Panter (2008). This is a CD released by Overheat (who also published some Panter stuff in the 80s, I think? Or do I misremember?). I kinda thought that this would include a little comic book, but it doesn’t. There’s a couple of illustrations, though. This blog post is part of … Continue reading PX Stuff
Comics Daze
(May 19, 2022)Geez. I awokeneth in the middle of the night. So perhaps this is a good day to do nothing but read comics all day? Perhaps with a nap in the middle? Possibly? Let’s find out. And today’s music will be… er… Oh yeah. Music from Crammed Discs (and associated stuff like Crepuscule). 80s. Calmness. Aksak … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(May 4, 2022)I think this is one of those days where I should just read comics all day. Let’s get going. A. G. Cook: 7G (1): Drums 10:20: Invasion of the Dykes to Watch Out For by Alison Bechdel (Alyson Books) I’ve been reading all the Dykes To Watch Out For books over the last (I think) … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(April 20, 2022)Yes, it’s another beautiful day here, so I’m just gonna finish up reading the comics I’ve got on the sill over there… The Names: In Mutation 13:36: Aya: Love in Yop City by Marguerite Abouet & Clément Oubrerie (Drawn & Quarterly) I read the first half of this the other day, so I’ll read the … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(April 19, 2022)It’s such a lovely day today… But I’ve got chocolates, so let’s read comics. Yukihiro Takahashi: Blue Moon Blue 13:58: Beta Testing The Ongoing Apocalypse by Tom Kaczynski (Fantagraphics) I assumed that this was new work from Kaczynski, but instead it’s a collection of things I’ve already read — mostly things from Mome. And some … Continue reading Comics Daze
PX97: The Complete Maus
(April 8, 2022)The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman (173x240mm) If you’ve following this blog series, you may be asking yourself — “didn’t that guy already talk about Maus? Excessively?” Yes, I have like a lot. So I don’t quite know why I bought this edition now — I think it just popped up (because of the banning … Continue reading PX97: The Complete Maus
PX21: Crashpad
(April 7, 2022)Crashpad by Gary Panter (168x247mm) I wrote about a different edition of this book here — that was a luxurious edition for book fetishists (I think Panter said), but it included the smaller pamphlet as an insert. Now Fantagraphics has published it as a standalone standard comic book, so I thought I’d have a look … Continue reading PX21: Crashpad
PX Stuff
(April 6, 2022)Read Yourself Raw pin by Art Spiegelman/Françoise Mouly around 1980. I had this pin as a teenager, and used to wear it on my jacket from time to time, to the great puzzlement of, well, everybody. But I lost it! I found it on ebay they other day, so I just had to get one … Continue reading PX Stuff
PX77: Hup
(April 5, 2022)Hup by Gary Panter (140x216mm) This blog series was over half a year ago, but I’ve stumbled onto a couple of relevant items, so I thought I’d just write a few words about them. More bonus tracks. I was really excited to find this early Panter book. It’s a 32 page book published by Gary … Continue reading PX77: Hup
Comics Daze Domino Edition
(April 1, 2022)A month ago, I bought a buttload of comics from Domino Books, but I’ve been strangely busy with one thing or another and I just haven’t found time to do any comics reading. But finally, today’s the day, and I’ll read until I plotz, or I run out of comics from Domino to read, whichever … Continue reading Comics Daze Domino Edition
Comics Daze
(February 27, 2022)I was gonna be all productive today, but then my get up and go got up and left, so how about I just read comics until I plotz instead? Besides, apparently Easter has arrived… … and I have to eat all this stuff in this egg. And… I think I’ll only play records I had … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(February 23, 2022)I’ve been programming so much the past few days that I’m going to rest my fingers today and just read comics until I plotz. Well, except when I’m typing away at this blog post. Oops! And… Today I’m going to listen to nothing but David Bowie records. This was a thing I started doing decades … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(February 11, 2022)Hey, this is a nice day to be reading comics… especially since I got a bunch really random ones in the mail yesterday. Boris: NO 07:39: Post York by James Romberger (Dark Horse) I read a really striking piece by David Wojnarowicz and James Romberger in an old issue of World War 3 Illustrated, which … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(February 2, 2022)Geez… I done messed up my sleeping schedule again. OK, I’ll read comics until morning? Or something. OK. Brian Auger & Julie Driscoll: Open 20:05: Soda vol 6 & 7 by Bruno Gazzotti & Philippe Tome (Zoom) This is a very 80s French(ey) series, and I’ve only read a handful of the albums. They vary … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(January 12, 2022)*phew* Physical inbox zero! You know all those half-read books spread all over the apt, and that volume of Baron Bean (1918 edition), all those magazines saved for “reading later”, and the newspapers, and the collections of a decade of Ric Hochet comics, and the Criterion blu-ray box essays, and everything? I’ve now read them … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(December 27, 2021)I wasn’t going to do another comic reading day right after doing one, but since I’ve gotten a new couch, and the remaining unread comics are totally blocking the view from where I’m sitting now, I just have to read them to clear that. Makes sense? No? Well, welcome to my life. Bertine Zetlitz: Morbid … Continue reading Comics Daze
A Page From A Comic Book Presented Without Comment
(December 26, 2021)Comics Daze
(December 25, 2021)I think this is an excellent day to spend reading comics, since I’m not… er… doing anything else. Vanishing Twin: Ookii Gekkou 13:05: Donald Duck “Balloonatics” by Carl Barks (Fantagraphics) I started reading this yesterday while the ribs were in the oven. These are not prime Barks strips — they’re from 1960/61, and Barks was … Continue reading Comics Daze
The Best Comics of 2021
(December 22, 2021)Another year over, so let’s take a quick look at the comics that particularly impressed me this year, in no particular order. Tongues #4 by Anders Brekhus Nilsen The Waiting by Keum Suk Gendry-Kim Night Bus by Zuo Ma Naken edited by… er… it doesn’t say. On Blokk. Discipline by Dash Shaw O bli hos … Continue reading The Best Comics of 2021
Comics Daze
(December 10, 2021)I have totally fucked up my sleeping patterns again, so I’m now up in the middle of the night. Brr. But I’ve got candy and comics, so let’s get readin’ until morn. And nothing but 80s music, because it’s that kind of night. Joe Jackson: Mike’s Murder 02:50: Too Tough To Die edited by Haleigh … Continue reading Comics Daze
PX Index: Stuff
(December 3, 2021)I’ve gotten various prints, paintings and bits and bobs created by the people I’ve been talking about in this blog series, so I posted some snaps of those things. Here’s links to them all; clickee on the images. This blog post is part of the Punk Comix series.
PX Index: Retrospectives
(December 2, 2021)I had a look at a handful of retrospective anthologies in this blog series. Click on the images to read. This blog post is part of the Punk Comix series.
PX Index: Not Punk Comix
(December 1, 2021)Below are the books that I wrote about, but that are somewhat off topic for this blog series. Click on the images to read. This blog post is part of the Punk Comix series.
PX Index: And Even More
(November 30, 2021)Below are some more books from this blog series. Click on the images to read. This blog post is part of the Punk Comix series.
PX Index: Sue Coe
(November 29, 2021)Below are the books by Sue Coe in this blog series. Click on the images to read. This blog post is part of the Punk Comix series.
PX Index: Matt Groening
(November 28, 2021)Below are the books by Matt Groening in this blog series. Click on the images to read. This blog post is part of the Punk Comix series.
The Entire Kitchen Sink
(November 27, 2021)I’ve been doing various blogs where I’m reading old comics and then typing some random musings about them. I know, odd, right? Most of them have been about 80s American comics companies, because I think that was a pretty interesting era in comics, and because somebody should. So I’ve now gotten to Kitchen Sink Comics/Comix/Press/Enterprises, … Continue reading The Entire Kitchen Sink
PX Index: Charles Burns
(November 27, 2021)Below are the books by Charles Burns in this blog series. Click on the images to read. This blog post is part of the Punk Comix series.
PX Index: Ben Katchor
(November 26, 2021)Below are the books by Ben Katchor in this blog series. Click on the images to read. This blog post is part of the Punk Comix series.
PX Index: Anthologies
(November 24, 2021)Below are the anthologies in this blog series. Click on the images to read. This blog post is part of the Punk Comix series.
Comics Daze
(November 23, 2021)Brrr… it’s getting more winterey by the second. Perhaps this is a good day to stay on the couch all day and read comics? Yes? Yas. Irreversible Entanglements: Open The Gates 11:24: Secret Life by Theo Ellsworth from a story by Jeff VanderMeer (Drawn & Quarterly) I like Ellsworth’s comics in general, so I was … Continue reading Comics Daze
PX Index: Art Spiegelman
(November 23, 2021)Below are the books by Art Spiegelman in this blog series. Click on the images to read. This blog post is part of the Punk Comix series.
PX Index: Lynda Barry
(November 22, 2021)Below are the books by Lynda Barry in this blog series. Click on the images to read. This blog post is part of the Punk Comix series.
PX Index: Mark Beyer
(November 21, 2021)Below are the books by Mark Beyer in this blog series. Click on the images to read. This blog post is part of the Punk Comix series.
PX Index: Gary Panter
(November 20, 2021)Click on the images below to read the blog articles about Gary Panter’s books. This blog post is part of the Punk Comix series.
PX Index: Raw
(November 19, 2021)Below are the comics published by Raw Graphics (more or less). At the end, it also includes books packaged by Raw for publication by other publishers (mostly Penguin and Pantheon). Click on the images below to read the posts. This blog post is part of the Punk Comix series.
Punk Comix Index
(November 18, 2021)When I started this blog series half a year ago, I wanted to have a look at the comics from the “Raw generation” or whatever you want to call them. There seemed to be a quite particular aesthetic in comics happening in the early 80s, mostly in New York, mostly among younger comics artists, that … Continue reading Punk Comix Index
Punk Comix Redux
(November 17, 2021)My blog series about “punk comix”/”the Raw generation”/whatchamacallit is finally over. I had originally planned on about eighty posts — but it ended up being one hundred and seventy posts. Good Lord! *choke* I had meant to focus on just Raw and the artists surrounding Raw — in the 80s. But then things got away … Continue reading Punk Comix Redux
Comics Daze
(November 16, 2021)I was gonna do a computerey thing that I thought was gonna occupy my entire day today, but then it only took like half and hour, and now I’m too restless to do anything else. So: It’s a comic book reading day. Yay! Snapped Ankles: Come Play The Trees 10:11: Are Comics Books Real? by … Continue reading Comics Daze
PX11: MetaMaus
(November 16, 2021)MetaMaus by Art Spiegelman and Hillary Chute (170x238mm) So here we are — the final post in this blog series about (sort of) the comics from the Raw Generation, or whatever we’re calling it this week. What started off with Mouly and Spiegelman printing stuff in their loft resulted in larger changes to the world … Continue reading PX11: MetaMaus
PX13: Co-Mix: A Retrospective of Comics, Graphics, and Scraps
(November 15, 2021)Co-Mix: A Retrospective of Comics, Graphics, and Scraps by Art Spiegelman (241x340mm) In yesterday’s post in this blog series, I promised that it was the very, very final post… so of course here’s another post. Sorry! But it arrived in the mail, so I might as well read it and scribble some words about it. … Continue reading PX13: Co-Mix: A Retrospective of Comics, Graphics, and Scraps
PX95: Dead Meat
(November 14, 2021)Dead Meat by Sue Coe with Alexander Cockburn (203x256mm) OK, this is it, for sure this time: This is the final post in this blog series — before the MetaMaus post which is supposed to be the real final post (and was written months ago), and then the extremely final post that sums up the … Continue reading PX95: Dead Meat
PX97: The Huge Book of Hell
(November 13, 2021)The Huge Book of Hell by Matt Groening (267x266mm) This is in the same format at The Big Book of Hell. That book was published in 90, and was a ten year retrospective featuring many strips not published before, along with a “best of” from the published collections. This one is published just six years … Continue reading PX97: The Huge Book of Hell
PX17: Songy of Paradise
(November 12, 2021)Songy of Paradise by Gary Panter (294x378mm) I had totally forgotten about this book. I mean, both that I had it and what it’s about. Oh, right — after doing Dante, Panter is now doing Milton. Swanky. Anyway, this is a very large, thin hardback book with metallic inks on the cover — so it’s … Continue reading PX17: Songy of Paradise
PX13: Hand-Drying in America and Other Stories
(November 11, 2021)Hand-Drying in America by Ben Katchor (298x311mm) This is a collection of strips that appeared in the architectural magazine Metropolis between 98 and 12, which is a marriage made in heaven, you’d think: Katchor had been doing stories about buildings and object design since, like, forever, so… This is a big, jam-packed book: It’s 160 … Continue reading PX13: Hand-Drying in America and Other Stories
PX90: The Big Book of Hell
(November 10, 2021)The Big Book of Hell by Matt Groening (271x270mm) I didn’t buy this book at the time — I assumed that this was just a reprint of the smaller books that had already been printed. But… while doing this blog series, I couldn’t find any web sites that stated this outright, so curiosity (and a … Continue reading PX90: The Big Book of Hell
PX86: Lynda Barry ‘n’ Matt Groening’s Funky World Fun Calendar 1987
(November 9, 2021)Lynda Barry ‘n’ Matt Groening’s Funky World Fun Calendar 1987 by Lynda Barry and Matt Groening (305x306mm) This is organised in a every-other-spread kind of fashion — on half the spreads, Groening does the cartoon at the top and Barry does the calendar at the bottom… … and the other half, vice versa. Most of … Continue reading PX86: Lynda Barry ‘n’ Matt Groening’s Funky World Fun Calendar 1987
PX05: Sheep of Fools
(November 8, 2021)Sheep of Fools by Sue Coe and Judith Brody (260x261mm) This is published by Fantagraphics, but it’s a Blab book. When talking about anthologies from the 80s, Raw and Weirdo are seen as the two opposite poles, and nobody much mentions Blab. Which, OK, it’s a timing issue — Blab didn’t really find its form … Continue reading PX05: Sheep of Fools
PX90: The Best Comics of the Decade
(November 7, 2021)The Best Comics of the Decade edited by Gary Groth and Kim Thompson (216x218mm) You’d think this blog series would be over now, right? Well, it was! But then when I was putting all the comics back into the bookshelf… … I found stuff I’d missed when rooting through the shelves for punk comix stuff … Continue reading PX90: The Best Comics of the Decade
PX09: Be a Nose!
(November 6, 2021)Be a Nose! by Art Spiegelman (102x158mm, 136×211, 153x210mm) This is a set of three small books (and a pamphlet) held together by a stretchy band. This is published by McSweeney’s, and they love to play with book formats. I’m really intrigued, and I’m surprised I didn’t know that this existed. For a few years, … Continue reading PX09: Be a Nose!
PX91: Two Life in Hell Fun Calendars
(November 5, 2021)Life in Hell Fun Calendars by Matt Groening (304x306mm) I was rummaging through stuff in the attic, and I happened upon these old calendars (from 1991 and 2006), so I thought it might be fun to have a quick peek at them. The first calendar goes from September 91 and all of 92. Is that … Continue reading PX91: Two Life in Hell Fun Calendars
PX11: The Cardboard Valise
(November 4, 2021)The Cardboard Valise by Ben Katchor (281x222mm) This one’s got a fun design flourish — it’s got these fold-out handles, which makes the book into a kind of cardboard… uhm… what’s the word… oh, yeah, suitcase. Katchor had published just one book-length narrative before this — The Jew of New York. All his other collections … Continue reading PX11: The Cardboard Valise
Art Spiegelman Meets The Polish Ambassador
(November 3, 2021)PX08: Gary Panter
(November 3, 2021)Gary Panter by Gary Panter (242x309mm) This massive box was published by Picturebox in 2008, and I think I got it at the time? Or pretty soon afterwards? When I got it, I was amazed at the… er… weight… of the box. It’s the most paper for the least amount of money ever. (I think … Continue reading PX08: Gary Panter
PX Stuff
(November 2, 2021)A Mark Beyer poster from John Zorn’s Book of Angels. This blog post is part of the Punk Comix series.
Comics Daze
(November 1, 2021)It’s a rainy night, so I think I’ll ditch my plans to start training for the ultra marathon tonight and instead read some comics. But with a twist: This time I’m only going to read comics that I’ve had for a long time but have avoided reading. Excitement! Electrelane: Singles, B-Sides & Live 16:34: Boston … Continue reading Comics Daze
PX06: An Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons, & True Stories Vols. 1 & 2
(November 1, 2021)An Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons, & True Stories Vols. 1 & 2 edited by Ivan Brunetti (200x260mm) I wanted to have a quick look at these due to their sheer heft, both physically and metaphorically. Altogether they weigh 2.6 kgs, collect over seven hundred pages of comics (or “graphic fiction” as the title portentously … Continue reading PX06: An Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons, & True Stories Vols. 1 & 2
PX94: The Wild Party
(October 31, 2021)The Wild Party by Joseph Moncure March and Art Spiegelman (140x224mm) Note the sizes of the names of the two creators on the cover? Yes, indeed, this was published after the stunning commercial (and critical) success of Maus II. This is a very handsome object. It’s designed by Spiegelman himself, but it’s obviously gotten lot … Continue reading PX94: The Wild Party
PX96: Horror Hospital Unplugged
(October 30, 2021)Horror Hospital Unplugged by Dennis Cooper and Keith Mayerson (216x280mm) This is, once again, slightly off topic for this blog series, but I thought it might be vaguely interesting to have a look at a Re/Search book. In the 80s, Re/Search seemed to exist on the margins of both comics and music culture: They were … Continue reading PX96: Horror Hospital Unplugged
PX11: Blabber Blabber Blabber: Volume 1 of Everything
(October 29, 2021)Blabber Blabber Blabber: Volume 1 of Everything by Lynda Barry (220x283mm) The Lynda Barry Renaissance over the past few decades has been a delight to behold. Drawn & Quarterly deserve major kudos for this, I guess — they’ve managed to make her books count in a major way: Every book she publishes gets reviewed in … Continue reading PX11: Blabber Blabber Blabber: Volume 1 of Everything
PX97: Open Me… I’m A Dog!
(October 28, 2021)Open Me… I’m A Dog! by Art Spiegelman (234x185mm) After Maus, everybody waited for Spiegelman’s next hefty masterwork… … so Spiegelman made a book for young children instead. It’s neat — it’s a very cute size, and it’s got an pop-up feature, but it’s not a pop-up book, really. Instead it tells a good yarn … Continue reading PX97: Open Me… I’m A Dog!
PX Stuff
(October 27, 2021)Oops! I found more stuff in the attic! Poster for a German exhibition of work by Mark Beyer. And there’s stuff on the back. This blog post is part of the Punk Comix series.
A Page From A Fucking Comic Book Presented Without Comment
(October 26, 2021)PX00: Julius Knipl, Real Estate Photographer: The Beauty Supply District
(October 26, 2021)Julius Knipl, Real Estate Photographer: The Beauty Supply District by Ben Katchor (280x225mm) Like most Pantheon books, this is a handsome object. There’s nothing extraneous here — no introductions by famous authors or anything icky like that. As much as I love Katchor, there’s precious little development between the previous collection of Julius Knipl strips … Continue reading PX00: Julius Knipl, Real Estate Photographer: The Beauty Supply District
A Panel From A Comic Book Presented Without Comment
(October 25, 2021)PX07: Will and Abe’s Guide to the Universe
(October 25, 2021)Will and Abe’s Guide to the Universe by Matt Groening (230x229mm) This is the final collection of Life in Hell strips, and I think I’ve covered them all? The Big Book of Hell and The Huge Book of Hell are collections of the other, er, collections, aren’t they? It’s impossible to google these things, because … Continue reading PX07: Will and Abe’s Guide to the Universe
PX83: Zomoid Illustories
(October 24, 2021)Zomoid Illustories edited by Ray Zone (110x140mm – 140x216mm – 172x260mm) I was ebaying for “punk comics”, as one does, and a collection of Zomoid Illustories appeared. I had the standard US comics-sized one already (it’s the one with the red cover up there), but I was wondering what the minis were like. Very varied. … Continue reading PX83: Zomoid Illustories
PX16: The! Greatest! Of! Marlys!
(October 23, 2021)The! Greatest! Of! Marlys! by Lynda Barry (225x260mm) This was originally released in a smaller edition by Sasquatch Books in 00, but I’ve got the 16 edition from Drawn & Quarterly here. (I got rid of the earlier edition while weeding out duplicates the other year, and now I regret it. Sooo much.) That edition … Continue reading PX16: The! Greatest! Of! Marlys!
Comics Semidaze
(October 23, 2021)I read comics all day yesterday, so I had to get some work done today, but now I just wanna read comics again until I plotz… So a shorter daze. Microdaze. My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult: Confessions Of A Knife (Remastered) 19:10: Victor Billetdoux – en trilogi by Pierre Wininger (E-voke) This curiously … Continue reading Comics Semidaze
PX21: Crashpad
(October 22, 2021)Crashpad by Gary Panter (286x363mm) It’s brand new! Ish! Published earlier this year, and I haven’t read it yet. This is a huge book (like all of Panter’s books with Fantagraphics)… but this one has a pouch on the inside front cover? With a comic inside!? What? Let’s leave that for later and read this … Continue reading PX21: Crashpad
Comics Daze
(October 21, 2021)I need a vacation. But instead here’s another day of reading comics. Various: Cold Wave Volume 2 15:29: The Fang 2: Weekend at Medusa’s by Marc Palm I really like the format of this book. It’s so small and cute. I haven’t read the first volume of this, so some of the goings-on was kinda … Continue reading Comics Daze
PX08: Jack and the Box
(October 21, 2021)Jack and the Box by Art Spiegelman (236x160mm) I am emphatically not covering all the Toon Books in this blog series, but let’s have a look at just a single one: Toon Books is an imprint own by RAW Junior, LLC, apparently, and I think it’s really cool that they’re still at the same address … Continue reading PX08: Jack and the Box
PX90: Warts and All
(October 20, 2021)Warts and All by Drew Friedman and Josh Alan Friedman (204x190mm) This is a very nicely designed book by the Raw crew. It’s probably not visible here, but those yellow warts are embossed — they give the cover a sickeningly tactile feel. It’s really cool, but… does it shift copies? I think the general effect … Continue reading PX90: Warts and All
PX12: Is That All There Is?
(October 19, 2021)Is That All There Is? by Joost Swarte (198x267mm) I was going to keep this blog series All-American, but let’s digress for one post (ahem) and have a look at this book. I guess all comics collections have to have an introduction by Chris Ware, and this one isn’t too bad. This is allegedly a … Continue reading PX12: Is That All There Is?
PX90: Come Over, Come Over/My Perfect Life/It’s So Magic/The Freddie Stories
(October 18, 2021)Come Over, Come Over/My Perfect Life/It’s So Magic/The Freddie Stories by Lynda Barry (229x153mm) I’m not sure whether it’s because of the way I’ve read Barry’s collections over the years (I’ve tended to stumble across a copy here and a copy there in bookstores, without knowing that the book existed, and in no particular order), … Continue reading PX90: Come Over, Come Over/My Perfect Life/It’s So Magic/The Freddie Stories
PX89: Heck!
(October 17, 2021)Heck! edited by Bob Donahue (214x768mm) Donahue claims in the introduction that this is the first paperback anthology of all-new comics. Can that be true? Er… Well, Raw #8 was squarebound… and… uhm… *ponder* What about Blab? Wasn’t that before this? Anyway, he talks a bit about Underground comics here, and it’s clear that he … Continue reading PX89: Heck!
PX86: Demo #1
(October 16, 2021)Demo #1 edited by… Mary Fleener? (216x142mm) I was ebaying for “punk comics”, and this mini came up. It features stuff by Mary Fleener, so I thought “what the hey”. So let’s have a very quick look at it. This is a very good looking mini. (It’s of the sheet-folded-in-half type.) Most of the comics … Continue reading PX86: Demo #1
PX83: Casual Casual #1-9
(October 15, 2021)Casual Casual #1-9 by Peter Dako (140x217mm) Casual Casual turned into an anthology later (covered earlier in this blog series), but I stumbled across somebody selling the original mini-comics cheaply on ebay, so let’s have a quick look at them. This starts out as an eight page comic (i.e., two sheets folded in half), and … Continue reading PX83: Casual Casual #1-9
PX98: The Jew of New York
(October 14, 2021)The Jew of New York by Ben Katchor (212x221mm) I’d forgotten about this book! I thought it was another one of the Julius Knipl collections, but it’s a totally separate work. It’s a very handsome book. Almost square, and with these thick, rough-hewn covers… designed by Chip Kidd, of course. One of the plots in … Continue reading PX98: The Jew of New York
PX Stuff
(October 13, 2021)This is a watch made by Nuts Collection, who apparently do a bunch of cool watches. This one is designed by Gary Panter. And comes in this handy case. This blog post is part of the Punk Comix series.
PX90: Kaktus Valley #1
(October 12, 2021)Kaktus Valley #1 by edited by Gary Panter and John Carlin (213x273mm) There was a period where alternative comics types were trying to do kids for comics, but… kinda half-hearted? Like… it’d seem really odd to imagine any kids actually reading these comics? This is one of those. The main story (which is only ten … Continue reading PX90: Kaktus Valley #1
PX86: Maus: A Survivor’s Tale
(October 11, 2021)Maus: A Survivor’s Tale by Art Spiegelman (158x229mm) So how many editions of this book does a body need? I talked about this book in this blog post, but I’ve never actually seen a copy of the original edition before, and when I happened upon a cheap copy on the ebays, I couldn’t help myself. … Continue reading PX86: Maus: A Survivor’s Tale
PX94: Binky’s Guide To Love
(October 10, 2021)Binky’s Guide To Love by Matt Groening (287x287mm) What!? Lynda Barry has been demoted from Funk Queen of the Universe!? Anyway, this book completes the format journey: These collections started out as spine-less stapled things, and then they got a spine (friendlier to book stores), and then they lost the staples, and now we have … Continue reading PX94: Binky’s Guide To Love
PX83: Scratchez
(October 9, 2021)Scratchez by Bow Lewis and Kathe Pritz (105x139mm & 169x261mm) I had one of these comics already — the sixth issue (the one with the cover by The Pizz), and I vaguely remember that issue as being kinda adjacent to the comics I’ve been discussing in this blog series, so I bought all the other … Continue reading PX83: Scratchez
PX86: Road Kill
(October 8, 2021)Road Kill by Gary Panter (218x142mm) Originally, this blog series was projected to be about 90 posts long, but we’re now up to 140 posts (I think), and I’m still adding things to the in queue. The feature creep has two reasons: I’m finding more stuff out there that I didn’t know existed (like this … Continue reading PX86: Road Kill
PX04: The New Smithsonian Book of Comic-Book Stories: From Crumb to Clowes
(October 7, 2021)The New Smithsonian Book of Comic-Book Stories: From Crumb to Clowes edited by Bob Callahan (220x284mm) Callahan had previously had a go at creating a book like this in 1991: The New Comics Anthology. It wasn’t entirely successful — it read more like a catalogue than an anthology (and the artists had difficulties getting paid, … Continue reading PX04: The New Smithsonian Book of Comic-Book Stories: From Crumb to Clowes
PX99: Art Spiegelman: Comix, Essays, Graphics and Scraps
(October 6, 2021)Art Spiegelman: Comix, Essays, Graphics and Scraps by Art Spiegelman (240x336mm) This is a very handsome softcover exhibition catalogue to accompany La Centrale dell’Arte’s travelling Spiegelman exhibition in 1999. (It was designed by Mouly and Spiegelman.) Spiegelman likes long (sub)titles, so this is called “From Maus to Now to MAUS to Now”. (His first collection … Continue reading PX99: Art Spiegelman: Comix, Essays, Graphics and Scraps
PX03: The Complete Maus
(October 5, 2021)The Complete Maus by Art Spiegelman (163x232mm) I’ve already talked about Maus in this blog series, so I’m not going to go over all that again. But I happen to have the collected edition (in addition to the I and II books), so I thought I’d just have a quick peek and see how they’re … Continue reading PX03: The Complete Maus
PX14: Here
(October 4, 2021)Here by Richard McGuire (173x242mm) “Here” was originally a short piece printed in Raw Vol 2 #1, and was hugely influential: It was a brand new way to tell a story. So — 25 years later, McGuire expanded it to a three hundred page graphic novel. If you’ve been living under one of those them … Continue reading PX14: Here
PX17: Whatsa paintoonist?
(October 3, 2021)Whatsa paintoonist? by Jerry Moriarty (261x335mm) The Jack Survives strips were absolutely amazing — strong graphics and moving, mysterious pages. I didn’t know quite to expect from this book — but absolutely not this: Moriarty is drawing from his childhood again: This time around he paints himself in, but as a girl. So we basically … Continue reading PX17: Whatsa paintoonist?
Comics Daze
(October 2, 2021)I feel like another comics day coming on — the rules are: Read comics until I plotz. No reviews, just a few random musings. Various: DJ Kicks: Kamaal Williams 12:28: What’s Michael? Fatcat Collection Volume 1 by Makoto Kobayashi (Dark Horse) I’ve read this series before — but in the smaller individual books that were … Continue reading Comics Daze
PX10: X’ed Out/The Hive/Sugar Skull
(October 2, 2021)X’ed Out/The Hive/Sugar Skull by Charles Burns (230x303mm) After Burns had been doing comics about diseased teenagers for a few decades, X’ed Out arrived out of the blue. I certainly wasn’t expecting a kinda surreal Tintin-referencing book from Charles Burns: It’s in the classic European hardback album format, looking very classy. I remember being really … Continue reading PX10: X’ed Out/The Hive/Sugar Skull
PX01: Inkstains #4 & #5
(October 1, 2021)Inkstains #4 & #5 (170x261mm) Since so many of the artists I’ve covered in this blog series have been at the School of Visual Arts (and I’ve talked about the Bad News anthology here, here, and here, which was done by students and teachers at the SVA), I thought it might be fun to have … Continue reading PX01: Inkstains #4 & #5
PX05: Satiroplastic
(September 30, 2021)Satiroplastic by Gary Panter (107x157mm) This book has a kinda cool strip of paper around it, where the title is done as holes in the paper. Apparently Drawn & Quarterly planned a three volume set, but only this one was published. This is a facsimile (sort of) of Panter’s sketchbook from 1999 to 2001. I … Continue reading PX05: Satiroplastic
PX93: Amy + Jordan
(September 29, 2021)Amy + Jordan by Mark Beyer (146x204mm) This was published by the same people who did Gary Panter’s Dal Tokyo the year before. It’s in the same format, and again, it’s a French book with un-translated English text. The book is a mainly a subset of the stuff later reprinted in the 2004 Pantheon book, … Continue reading PX93: Amy + Jordan
PX Stuff
(September 28, 2021)“Welcome To The Atom Age!!!” by Gary Panter, button apparently from 1979. This blog post is part of the Punk Comix series.
PX04: Amy + Jordan
(September 27, 2021)Amy + Jordan by Mark Beyer (286x128mm) This is a Chip Kidd-designed book. I’ve heard rumours of him being so popular that people will buy any book if it’s designed by him. (This apparently pisses off fans of the artists featured in the books, because they feel that the attention distracts from… er… something…) Anyway, … Continue reading PX04: Amy + Jordan
PX91: The New Comics Anthology
(September 26, 2021)The New Comics Anthology edited by Bob Callahan (218x278mm) I was googling for anthologies of “new wave comics” (etc.), and I came upon this book, and I immediately though “hey! I’ve got that one!” So I spent half an hour looking through the shelves, but didn’t find anything. But it looks so familiar… … and … Continue reading PX91: The New Comics Anthology
PX06: Big Fat Little Lit
(September 25, 2021)Big Fat Little Lit edited by Art Spiegelman and Françoise Mouly (225x280mm) I’m not quite sure how I ended up with this book — I probably bought it not knowing that it was a reprint of the three Little Lit volumes? Two of the Little Lit books had themes (fairy tales and “silly night”), but … Continue reading PX06: Big Fat Little Lit
PX02: Little Lit: It Was a Dark and Silly Night
(September 24, 2021)Little Lit: It Was a Dark and Silly Night edited by Art Spiegelman and Françoise Mouly (242x340mm) This is the third and final book in this series, and it’s a bit shorter than the previous two: 48 pages instead of 64. Martin Hanford does the endpapers, and they’re great. He’s the guy that does Where’s … Continue reading PX02: Little Lit: It Was a Dark and Silly Night
PX01: Little Lit: Strange Stories for Strange Kids
(September 23, 2021)Little Lit: Strange Stories for Strange Kids edited by Art Spiegelman and Françoise Mouly (242x340mm) The first Little Lit book wasn’t… very good, and this one doesn’t even have Chip Kidd as a co-designer. So let’s have a look. Heh, that’s pretty good… (Kaz.) That’s not bad, either. (Art Spiegelman.) There were quite a few … Continue reading PX01: Little Lit: Strange Stories for Strange Kids
Comics Daze
(September 23, 2021)I wasn’t gonna do another comics reading marathon today, but I totally messed up my sleeping patterns. Look! It’s the middle of the night! This is no time to get up! So now I just wanna read comics and eat crisps until dawn. Let’s get started. The Meters: Gettin’ Funkier All The Time (6): Be … Continue reading Comics Daze
PX00: Little Lit: Folklore & Fairy Tales
(September 22, 2021)Little Lit: Folklore & Fairy Tales edited by Art Spiegelman and Françoise Mouly (242x340mm) I didn’t originally plan on including anything from the Raw Junior, LLC line of books… but I thought it might be interesting to at least talk about the first spate of Little Lit books. These are published by HarperCollins, but apparently … Continue reading PX00: Little Lit: Folklore & Fairy Tales
PX05: We All Die Alone
(September 21, 2021)We All Die Alone by Mark Newgarden (198x223mm) Unusually for a Fantagraphics book, this book has a very… extra… physical appearance: The cover is bound in a felt-like material, so it feels like fondling… moleskin pants or something. It’s very Indesigney. Ah! Edited by Dan Nadel (i.e., Picturebox) and designed by Helene Silverman. You can … Continue reading PX05: We All Die Alone
Comics Daze
(September 20, 2021)Last night’s Comics Daze went so well that I’m doing another one straight away. Melvin Gibbs: 4 + 1 equals 5 for May 25 08:58: Animals With Sharpies by Michael Dumontier & Neil Farber (Drawn & Quarterly) This book is what it says on the tin: It’s animals with sharpies. It’s really good. It’s oddly … Continue reading Comics Daze
PX91: Maus II: And Here My Troubles Began
(September 20, 2021)Maus II: And Here My Troubles Began by Art Spiegelman (168x243mm) This book collects the four chapters of Maus that were published in Raw #8 and Raw Vol 2 #1-3, and adds a fifth and final chapter. While I’ve read the chapters that made up the first book many times (as inserts in the Raw … Continue reading PX91: Maus II: And Here My Troubles Began
Comics Daze
(September 19, 2021)Wow, it’s been two months since I did one of these posts, where I read a bunch of new comics and write a sentence or two about each of them. I guess… I’ve been busy reading old comics? Yup. But I’ve now done the old comics (even if the posts will continue to trickle out … Continue reading Comics Daze
PX Stuff
(September 19, 2021)Mark Beyer screen print. This blog post is part of the Punk Comix series.
PX10: Funny (Not Funny)
(September 18, 2021)Funny (Not Funny) edited by Ryan Standfest (218x218mm) This is the catalogue for an exhibition, apparently? The exhibition is about “Black Humor”, and the curator capitalises it like that most of the essay, without mentioning actual Black humour, or using the expression “edge lord” a single time. But I think that’s what he’s going for, … Continue reading PX10: Funny (Not Funny)
PX00: Cola Madnes
(September 17, 2021)Cola Madnes by Gary Panter (135x188mm) I’m always suspicious when I see stuff like this, but Overheat Communications really does seem to exist. Young Jimbo! Anyway, this is a very handsome little book, published by Funny Garbage Press. (No, me neither.) The reproduction is excellent, and the format is sympathetic to the work. On the … Continue reading PX00: Cola Madnes
PX91: Snake Eyes #1-3
(September 16, 2021)Snake Eyes #1-3 edited by Glenn Head and Kaz (213x273mm) Three issues of Bad News were published in the 80s, as a sort of School for the Visual Arts anthology (but only sorta kinda). Mark Newgarden is interviewed in The Comics Journal #161, page 84: KELLY: It seems like Bad News somehow evolved into Snake … Continue reading PX91: Snake Eyes #1-3
PX09: The Complete Jack Survives
(September 15, 2021)The Complete Jack Survives by Jerry Moriarty (273x362mm) This book was published by the late and very lamented Buenaventura Press, and basically reprints the Raw One-Shot from 84, but adds a few more things. This is in the same format at the first book, but is a hardback and is printed on shiny paper, so … Continue reading PX09: The Complete Jack Survives
PX04: In the Shadow of No Towers
(September 14, 2021)In the Shadow of No Towers by Art Spiegelman (255x367mm) This is Spiegelman’s book about the 2001-09-11 attack on New York, so even being slightly critical feels both churlish and besides the point. On the other hand, I do remember feeling somewhat disappointed by this book, so let’s see… This is a pretty thick book … Continue reading PX04: In the Shadow of No Towers
PX91: Raw Vol 2 #3: High Culture for Lowbrows
(September 13, 2021)Raw Vol 2 #3: High Culture for Lowbrows edited by Françoise Mouly and Art Spiegelman (165x229mm) This is it: The third and final edition of the Penguin-published Raw, and the final Raw book. (Sort of.) And… we’re getting pretty high in the instep, aren’t we? Spiegelman is selling a $1K print. Tsk tsk. The book … Continue reading PX91: Raw Vol 2 #3: High Culture for Lowbrows
PX87: Casual Casual #19/20
(September 12, 2021)Casual Casual #19/20 edited by Peter Dako (214x279mm) I blogged about Casual Causal some before, and in those issues, Peter Dako talked about putting on a travelling show exhibiting a bunch of artists. And now he’s finally gotten money from the gummint, so he’s doing it, and this 200 page magazine-sized publication is the result. … Continue reading PX87: Casual Casual #19/20
PX92: The Road to Hell
(September 11, 2021)The Road to Hell by Matt Groening (226x229mm) I hadn’t planned on doing all the Life in Hell collections in this blog series, but there’s just a couple more books to go, so what the hey. This collection mostly covers 1991, and it’s a very cohesive collection… … but that’s mostly because half of them … Continue reading PX92: The Road to Hell
PX Stuff
(September 10, 2021)Mark Beyer screen printed poster. This blog post is part of the Punk Comix series.
PX88: Do You Hate Your Hips More Than Nuclear War?
(September 9, 2021)Do You Hate Your Hips More Than Nuclear War? by Libby Reid (216x152mm) I’ve covered a few books that have been “adjacent” to the purported subject matter of this blog series… but I don’t quite know why I meant to do this book. I mean, it doesn’t look very… adjacent? Hm… *ponder*… Oh yeah, I … Continue reading PX88: Do You Hate Your Hips More Than Nuclear War?
PX95: The Narrative Corpse
(September 8, 2021)The Narrative Corpse edited by Art Spiegelman and R. Sikoryak (223x413mm) I remember buying this in the 90s: It’s a narrow and tall book and it looked very enticing in the book store, so I finally broke down and bought it even though it was trey expensive (and I was a poor(ish) student). But after … Continue reading PX95: The Narrative Corpse
PX93: Go Naked #1
(September 7, 2021)Go Naked #1 edited by Gary Panter (215x173mm) I’ve never read this book before — it popped up one day while I was “doing research”. I think it has to be the only anthology edited by Panter? And it’s published by Underground comix stalwarts Last Gasp Eco-Funnies, so colour me intrigued. So this is a … Continue reading PX93: Go Naked #1
PX87: Agony
(September 6, 2021)Agony by Mark Beyer (128x128mm) I have two copies of this book — one that I bought in 87, and one I got about a decade ago. Mile High Comics were having a blow-out graphics novel sale, and they apparently had so many copies of this book that they were selling it for $5, so … Continue reading PX87: Agony
PX90: Raw Vol 2 #2: Required Reading for the Post-Literate
(September 5, 2021)Raw Vol 2 #2: Required Reading for the Post-Literate edited by Françoise Mouly and Art Spiegelman (153x223mm) The first issue of the Penguin version of Raw was generally thought of as pretty disappointing — even by the editors themselves. They were looking for new, exciting talent working in the idiom loosely defined by Raw, and … Continue reading PX90: Raw Vol 2 #2: Required Reading for the Post-Literate
PX95: Paul Auster’s City of Glass
(September 4, 2021)Paul Auster’s City of Glass by Paul Karasik and David Mazzucchelli (132x209mm) I remember reading Auster’s New York Trilogy over a couple of days one summer — it was probably in 1988 and I was nineteen? I was absolutely flabbergasted! I thought it was the greatest thing ever, and I’ve continued to buy all of … Continue reading PX95: Paul Auster’s City of Glass
PX90: Gin & Comix
(September 3, 2021)Gin & Comix edited by Philippe Lardy and José Ortega (267x356mm) The only reason I know about this Raw-sized book is that it was mentioned in a “coming attractions” column by Eclipse — I’ve never seen it mentioned by anybody else ever. That I can remember. Eclipse claimed that the book features student work from … Continue reading PX90: Gin & Comix
PX Stuff
(September 2, 2021)Acrylic on cardboard by Gary Panter. This was allegedly painted for a book/exhibition Patrick J. Eddington was putting together — about cats. Which explains “More cats for Pat” on the back. The project was never finalised, I think? This web page has an overview of (some?) of the paintings that were to be featured. This … Continue reading PX Stuff
PX88: Down the Street
(September 1, 2021)Down the Street by Lynda Barry (228x152mm) In the previous Barry post in this blog series, I said that I was going to stop there — because Barry’s work has really moved away from the ostensible purported subject of the series. (And because I had nothing more to say than “mm-hm, look at that isn’t … Continue reading PX88: Down the Street
PX85: Gripping Typos
(August 31, 2021)Gripping Typos by David Lees, Gary Panter and others (255x356mm) This is an oddball publication — it seems like it’s basically an ad for Andresen Typographics in Los Angeles — but it doesn’t say so explicitly. It doesn’t say when it was published, either, but Printed Matter says that it’s from 1985, and they’re usually … Continue reading PX85: Gripping Typos
PX00: Pit’s Letter
(August 30, 2021)Pit’s Letter by Sue Coe (184x184mm) I remember buying this at a bookstore somewhere in the US and somebody said “you like being depressed, eh?” And it is, indeed, a full on harrowing read. It quietly moves from one atrocity to the next. Coe should get extra compensation from the trauma doing artwork like this … Continue reading PX00: Pit’s Letter
PX96: Fleener #1-3
(August 29, 2021)Fleener #1-3 by Mary Fleener (169x259mm) I love Mary Fleener’s work, but I wasn’t going to cover any of it in this blog series, because while it’s wild and sometimes avant garde, I’d say it comes more out of the Underground comics tradition than what I’m talking about here. But this was published by Bongo … Continue reading PX96: Fleener #1-3
PX91: How To Go To Hell
(August 28, 2021)How To Go To Hell by Matt Groening (226x229mm) Big changes afoot — Groening has taken the book from Pantheon to HarperPerennial, and this is the first collection without staples. This is also the first collection that doesn’t dip back into deep Life In Hell history — all the strips are from recent years. And … Continue reading PX91: How To Go To Hell
PX89: Raw Vol 2 #1: Open Wounds from the Cutting Edge of Commix
(August 27, 2021)Raw Vol 2 #1: Open Wounds from the Cutting Edge of Commix edited by Françoise Mouly and Art Spiegelman (153x224mm) I stumbled upon somebody on the intertubes talking about Raw a couple weeks back. Can’t find it now, but they said essentially “Man, Raw was good… I’m talking about the real Raw — not the … Continue reading PX89: Raw Vol 2 #1: Open Wounds from the Cutting Edge of Commix
PX07: Omega the Unknown
(August 26, 2021)Omega the Unknown by Jonathan Lethem and Farel Dalrymple with Karl Rusnak and Paul Hornscheimer (170x259mm) I know, I know — this is really off topic for a blog series about early-80s avant garde comics. But Gary Panter drew the cover to one issue, and I just found the idea of Panter being published by … Continue reading PX07: Omega the Unknown
PX Stuff
(August 25, 2021)Painting by Mark Beyer on semi-spherical glass from 1997. I’m not sure whether this is a thing that people do? I mean, do a painting on the back of half a glass globe? It seems like something that should be in every tourist shop, but… I’m not sure I’ve seen something like this there? Probably … Continue reading PX Stuff
PX87: Read Yourself Raw
(August 24, 2021)Read Yourself Raw edited by Françoise Mouly and Art Spiegelman (267x357mm) This book reprints Raw #1-3 — but not in full. I’ve already covered those three Raw issues in this blog series, so I’m not going to re-read this book once again… instead, I’ll just see if there’s anything interesting about what they’ve kept and … Continue reading PX87: Read Yourself Raw
PX92: Facetasm
(August 23, 2021)Facetasm by Gary Panter and Charles Burns (226x254mm) This is a spiral-bound book with thick cardboard pages, immaculately printed by Gates of Heck. The gag is that the pages are cut in three (horizontally), so you can flip the three parts independently… … creating a large number of facial combinations… … or just look at … Continue reading PX92: Facetasm
PX92: Dal Tokyo
(August 22, 2021)Dal Tokyo by Gary Panter (148x203mm) Fantagraphics reprinted the Daltokyo strips in a definite edition in 2012, so I won’t actually talk about the strips themselves (since I did that in that blog post, see?) in this brief blog post. This was published by Sketch Studios in France (but not translated into French), and as … Continue reading PX92: Dal Tokyo
PX86: Maus I: My Father Bleeds History
(August 21, 2021)Maus I: My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman (mm) This is it: The pivot point in this blog series. You may not have thought so (if you’ve been reading a few of these blog posts), but there’s a kind of loose structure going on here. I wanted to divide the series into a “before” … Continue reading PX86: Maus I: My Father Bleeds History
PX85: Casual Casual #15, #16, #18
(August 20, 2021)Casual Casual #15, #16, #18 edited by Peter Dako (140x216mm) I’ve never read Casual Casual before — I was vaguely aware of it, but no copies wended themselves my way. But while researching stuff for this blog series, I happened upon somebody selling a bunch of them on ebay, and I managed to score these … Continue reading PX85: Casual Casual #15, #16, #18
An Image From A Comic Book Presented Without Comment
(August 19, 2021)(By R. Sikoryak.)
PX91: Funny Ladies
(August 19, 2021)Funny Ladies by Pamela Beere Briggs (130х184mm) So I’m watching this DVD because it has Lynda Barry (on topic) and Nicole Hollander (somewhat on topic) for this blog series. The other two here are less on topic. Just to get my prejudices up front: I don’t like documentaries in general, and I loathe sound byte … Continue reading PX91: Funny Ladies
PX80: Ma, can I be a feminist and still like men?
(August 18, 2021)Ma, can I be a feminist and still like men? by Nicole Hollander (210x138mm) I’m not going to continue covering the Hollander books in this blog series (since she works on a scale perpendicular to the topic), but I thought I’d do at least one more: The first collection was all politics all the time, … Continue reading PX80: Ma, can I be a feminist and still like men?
PX Stuff
(August 17, 2021)Subterranean Modern with a cover by Gary Panter. Don’t worry — I’m not going to include all the album covers done by these artists in this blog series, but I’m gonna do a couple. This one is interesting because it was released by Ralph Records in 1979 — Ralph had included Gary Panter’s Rozz Tox … Continue reading PX Stuff
PX78: A Disturbing Evening and Other Stories
(August 16, 2021)A Disturbing Evening by Mark Beyer (215x280mm) Look what I found! I’ve been trying to get a copy of this book for decades, and it finally popped up on ebay the other week. Serendipidee-doo. So I’ve never read this before, and my heart is actually racing — I’m all excited! Oh, wow. These comics were … Continue reading PX78: A Disturbing Evening and Other Stories
PX88: Bad News #3
(August 15, 2021)Bad News #3 edited by Paul Karasik (206x260mm) This is the third and final issue of the magazine that started as a class assignment at the School of Visual Arts, but I think by this point, it wasn’t that at all… although it featured many people who had gone to the SVA (or been a … Continue reading PX88: Bad News #3
PX87: The Fun House
(August 14, 2021)The Fun House by Lynda Barry (230x152mm) The previous Barry collection, Everything in the World, was a watershed — half the strips were about misc. adultish stuff, and half the stuff was about children’s lives. Both were good, but it seemed obvious that Barry was more inspired by the children’s stuff. So this collection is … Continue reading PX87: The Fun House
PX91: With Love From Hell & Greetings From Hell
(August 13, 2021)With Love From Hell & Greetings From Hell by Matt Groening (188x122mm & 162x108mm) 87th Dimension, eh? Anyway, the first of these postcard booklets is published by HarperPerennial, not Pantheon (who did the strip collections). So on the front of the postcard we get a Life in Hell strip… … and the back is mostly … Continue reading PX91: With Love From Hell & Greetings From Hell
PX01: Skin Deep
(August 12, 2021)Skin Deep by Charles Burns (235x313mm) This is the Fantagraphics reprint of the Penguin book published a decade earlier. I don’t know exactly how I ended up buying this edition, but I may just have forgotten that I had the Penguin book? In any case, the contents are identical, so see this for more about … Continue reading PX01: Skin Deep
PX92: Skin Deep
(August 11, 2021)Skin Deep by Charles Burns (228x304mm) This is the second Burns collection — the first was from Pantheon in 86 (and apparently didn’t sell), and this one is from Penguin. This collects mainly Burns’ Big Baby strips, but Big Baby doesn’t appear a lot here: In the first story, he shows up to introduce us … Continue reading PX92: Skin Deep
PX86: Raw #8: The Graphic Aspirin for War Fever
(August 10, 2021)Raw #8: The Graphic Aspirin for War Fever edited by Françoise Mouly and Art Spiegelman (266x360mm) I remember being disappointed when I got this in the mail as a teenager… I don’t really remember why now, but looking at the book now, it’s a less … special … object than the previous Raw issues. For … Continue reading PX86: Raw #8: The Graphic Aspirin for War Fever
PX Stuff
(August 9, 2021)This is the back cover to a Steel Tips album by Mark Beyer. And the mind-boggling thing is that they put this amazing drawing on the back. Here’s the front. So now you’re all confused and wondering what it sounds like? You’re still confused? Me too. This blog post is part of the Punk Comix … Continue reading PX Stuff
PX96: Julius Knipl, Real Estate Photographer
(August 8, 2021)Julius Knipl, Real Estate Photographer by Ben Katchor (276x215mm) This book (published by Little, Brown) was exquisitely designed by Katchor himself. He sounded pretty disappointed with the design of his first book (from Penguin), so it’s understandable that he wanted to do it all himself this time around. The first book had a slightly gimmicky … Continue reading PX96: Julius Knipl, Real Estate Photographer
PX89: Akbar and Jeff’s Guide to Life
(August 7, 2021)Akbar and Jeff’s Guide to Life by Matt Groening (229x229mm) All the previous Life in Hell collections had been themed (Work/Love/School/Childhood), and I guess this one is, too — but it focuses on these characters (“brothers or lovers or both?”, as the saying went in the early days of Life in Hell) instead of, er, … Continue reading PX89: Akbar and Jeff’s Guide to Life
PX12: Daltokyo
(August 6, 2021)Daltokyo by Gary Panter (410x158mm) Hey! We’re back! I had another two week break from this blog series… which… er… happens in two weeks, according to how many are still in the scheduling queue… Confusing. But do I remember how to do these blogs now? Did I ever? If there’s one thing Fantagraphics isn’t known … Continue reading PX12: Daltokyo
PX92: Nozone #4: Utopia/Dystopia
(August 5, 2021)Nozone #4: Utopia/Dystopia (202x202mm) I’ve vaguely seen Nozone around, but I don’t think I’ve ever actually read an issue before? But it seems pertinent to my interests, so I got this issue, and we can have a look at it together… This is a pretty nice little object… it feels well-thought-out and designed. And the … Continue reading PX92: Nozone #4: Utopia/Dystopia
PX79: Slash volume two number six
(August 4, 2021)Slash volume two number six (295x383mm) Hey, no, don’t worry — I did one previous issue of Slash, and I’m doing this one, and then I’m not doing any more. And the reason I’m doing this one is that I had forgotten that I had bought the other issue, so I then had two. So … Continue reading PX79: Slash volume two number six
PX85: Raw #7: The Torn-Again Graphix Mag
(August 3, 2021)Raw #7: The Torn-Again Graphix Mag edited by Françoise Mouly and Art Spiegelman (265x360mm) This is the infamous “torn” edition of Raw: Every cover is hand-torn… although this edition seems to be more torn than others. (I don’t think they’re usually torn in the left-hand bottom corner, too?) *gasp* This copy is incomplete! The torn-off … Continue reading PX85: Raw #7: The Torn-Again Graphix Mag
PX92: Hypnotic Tales
(August 2, 2021)Hypnotic Tales by Richard Sala (213x276mm) OK, I seem to be digressing from the putative subject matter of this blog series more and more… I originally planned on focusing hard on the Raw period of comics (so, 1978-89… ish), and the artists around Raw, really. I wasn’t going to do anything newer than 1990, and … Continue reading PX92: Hypnotic Tales
PX Stuff
(August 1, 2021)Devin and Gary Go Outside This is a CD by Devin Flynn and Gary Panter, published by Picturebox, apparently. It’s far out. This blog post is part of the Punk Comix series.
PX80: World War 3 Illustrated #1
(July 31, 2021)World War 3 Illustrated #1 edited by Seth Tobocman, Peter Kuper and Christof Kohlhofer (202x270mm) When starting this Raw-focused blog series, I wondered whether I should do some World War 3 Illustrated, too — it was another anthology started in New York around the same time, and with as much claim on the phrase “punk … Continue reading PX80: World War 3 Illustrated #1
PX86: Everything in the World
(July 30, 2021)Everything in the World by Lynda Barry (230x149mm) “Love the hurly ding-dong.”!? Anyway, it’s been fun reading these early Lynda Barry books chronologically — I sorta knew that her style had changed a lot during her first (say) five years… but now we’re kinda getting near to the style she was going to use when … Continue reading PX86: Everything in the World
PX86: Hercules Amongst the North Americans
(July 29, 2021)Hercules Amongst the North Americans by Mark Marek (218x279mm) Marek’s previous book was published by a New York design firm… but now “new wave” comics is starting to become a thing, commercially, so Penguin dips their toes into the waters with this book. Wow. That’s the most accurate map of the US ever. I like … Continue reading PX86: Hercules Amongst the North Americans
PX81: The Previous Future
(July 28, 2021)The Previous Future edited by Pete Friedrich (215x275mm) This is published by Look Mom, Comics — the same people who published Psycho Comics. So I wasn’t going to cover this magazine in this blog series, but I had already bought it, and the cover looks pretty intriguing… so let’s give it a go. Oh, well: … Continue reading PX81: The Previous Future
PX87: Buzzbomb
(July 27, 2021)Buzzbomb by Kaz (280x380mm) OK, here’s my deepest, darkest secret: I’m not really much of a Kaz fan. So I haven’t read this book since it was published, and I pretty much forgot that it existed — otherwise I would have covered it in the Fantagraphics blog series. So: This is a big (Raw-sized) saddle-stitched … Continue reading PX87: Buzzbomb
PX Stuff
(July 26, 2021)Spy vs Spy by by John Zorn with a cover by Mark Beyer (1989). It’s Zorn doing hardcore/jazz versions of Ornette Coleman stuff. It’s fun! This blog post is part of the Punk Comix series.
PX84: Raw #6: The Graphix Magazine That Overestimates The Taste Of The American Public
(July 25, 2021)Raw #6: The Graphix Magazine That Overestimates The Taste Of The American Public edited by Françoise Mouly and Art Spiegelman (269x359mm) This is it: This is the first issue of Raw I read, and I was 15, and I thought it was the most amazing thing ever in the history of ever. Sure; I’d read … Continue reading PX84: Raw #6: The Graphix Magazine That Overestimates The Taste Of The American Public
PX Stuff
(July 24, 2021)Mark Beyer screen print. This blog post is part of the Punk Comix series.
PX88: Childhood is Hell
(July 23, 2021)Childhood is Hell by Matt Groening (228x228mm) I’m slightly fascinated by the relentless drive towards mainstream (i.e., bookstore) respectability for basically all the books I’m covering in this blog series. In the pre-mainstream era, there was a certain freedom with formats — mostly stapled things, and often oddball (too large/too small) formats. This is a … Continue reading PX88: Childhood is Hell
PX81: Boys & Girls Grow Up #2-4
(July 22, 2021)Boys & Girls Grow Up #2-4 edited by Tom Campagnoli and Amy Crehore (216x280mm) I’m not quite sure where I happened onto these comics… I feel… I found them in a TAKE THEM AWAY WE HAVE TO GET RID OF THEM box at a comic book store. But those may be false memories. These are … Continue reading PX81: Boys & Girls Grow Up #2-4
PX88: Hard-Boiled Defective Stories
(July 21, 2021)Hard-Boiled Defective Stories by Charles Burns (229x305mm) Pantheon had released only a handful of comics by this time: The Life in Hell collections, Maus I and the Read Yourself Raw collection. That is, their taste level was impeccable. Still, I remember happening upon this in a bookstore in 1988, and I was kinda… surprised? It’s … Continue reading PX88: Hard-Boiled Defective Stories
PX84: Kromalaffing
(July 20, 2021)Kromalaffing edited by Michael Merrill (179x267mm) This is a catalogue: From February 4 to 25 of that year, Michael Merrill curated a gallery show called “ChromaZone/Chromatique Presents Kromalaffing” at Toronto’s Grünwald Gallery. The exhibition presented experimental and humorous comic artwork from American, Canadian and European artists. It was in 1984, and I think it had … Continue reading PX84: Kromalaffing
PX79: I’m in Training to be Tall and Blonde
(July 19, 2021)I’m in Training to be Tall and Blonde by Nicole Hollander (210x137mm) I thought it might be amusing to include a few things that’s sorta “adjacent” to the putative subject matter of this blog series. Nicole Hollander was a friend of Lynda Barry’s, started working a few years earlier (Hollander 76; Barry 79), appeared in … Continue reading PX79: I’m in Training to be Tall and Blonde
A Cerebus-Inspired Roundtable on Sexism in Comics
(July 18, 2021)I was reading World War Illustrated 3 #16 when I happened upon an article by Trina Robbins that vaguely intersected with two recent subject matters on this blog: Cerebus and Art Spiegelman. Cerebus had raped Astoria, and Dave Sim had invited women to write in with their reactions. Robbins was impressed by the responses, so … Continue reading A Cerebus-Inspired Roundtable on Sexism in Comics
PX Stuff
(July 18, 2021)Amy + Jordan figure set published by Dark Horse in 1986 from a design by Mark Beyer. They’re soft and quite poseable — kinda like… silly puttyish, but retaining the shape? Probably lots of phthalates. I think they’re kinda cool — they look so much like Beyer’s artwork. This blog post is part of the … Continue reading PX Stuff
Comics Daze
(July 18, 2021)It’s a nice afternoon, so I thought I’d try reading out on the balcony… Sō Percussion, Dawn Upshaw, and Gil Kalish: Caroline Shaw: Narrow Sea 17:27: Le château des animaux vol 2 by Delep & Dorison (Shadow Zone) Oh, so this is basically a riff on Animal Farm? The level of anthropomorphism here is interesting: … Continue reading Comics Daze
PX98: Burning Monster
(July 17, 2021)Burning Monster by Gary Panter (216x160mm) This is a collection of stuff from 1983, but published by Le Dernier Cri in 1998. I think it’s all screenprinted? It feels that way, at least. It’s a stylish little book, with fold-in flaps and everything… Some of the pages look a bit like sketchbook work, but many … Continue reading PX98: Burning Monster
PX08: Breakdowns: Portrait of the Artist as a Young %@꩜🟊!
(July 16, 2021)Breakdowns: Portrait of the Artist as a Young %@꩜🟊! by Art Spiegelman (260x363mm) Man, that’s a bad cover… Well, the front endpapers look OK… But then… yuck! OK, I should probably explain what’s with all this kvetching. I just read the original version of this book, and it was such a thrilling book — a … Continue reading PX08: Breakdowns: Portrait of the Artist as a Young %@꩜🟊!
PX77: Breakdowns: From Maus to Now
(July 15, 2021)Breakdowns: From Maus to Now by Art Spiegelman (260x360mm) I got this just a week ago, and I’m really excited to be fondling it now. I mean reading it! Reading it! Wow, the colour separation thing continues over the front endpapers, too… must have been so much work to do. Anyway, this is a collection … Continue reading PX77: Breakdowns: From Maus to Now
PX96: Amy + Jordan
(July 14, 2021)Amy + Jordan by Mark Beyer (285x135mm) Beyer seldom talks directly to the reader, so this was a change. Anyway, this book reprints Amy + Jordan strips from 89 to 91. It’s pretty essential Amy + Jordan. It seems like publishers see Beyer’s work and they think “hey! let’s make an art object!” The focus … Continue reading PX96: Amy + Jordan
PX87: School is Hell
(July 13, 2021)School is Hell by Matt Groening (229x229mm) Hi! Welcome back after that long, long pause in blog posts… what’s that you say? You didn’t notice any pause? Indeed! I was doing these with over a month’s lead time, and then I didn’t blog for almost a month, and now I’m back. Confused? Sure. Me too! … Continue reading PX87: School is Hell
PX Stuff
(July 12, 2021)Four postcards by Joost Swarte printed by Françoise Mouly. This is kinda a random ebay find: I was just searching for stuff and then this popped up, and I couldn’t resist it. OK, perhaps I should just include all the postcards here, because they’re kinda nice: Heh heh. The back of the cards all look … Continue reading PX Stuff
Comics Daze
(July 11, 2021)It’s a sunny Sunday today, so what better way to spend it than on the couch, reading comics… Tuxedomoon: Live At The Palms (1978) 13:54: Crash Site by Nathan Cowdry (Fantagraphics) Oh, is this some kind of post Nick Drnaso thing? It has his colour scheme (which I hate), and his incompetent drawing style. And … Continue reading Comics Daze
PX05: Beyer’s Beasts
(July 11, 2021)Beyer’s Beasts by Mark Beyer (148x223mm) This is published by Dark Horse, and I wonder what was going on there for a brief second: They did this, the Amy & Jordan figures, and the Jimbo action figures — and then nothing more. (And nothing in this area before this.) So this is a stationary set … Continue reading PX05: Beyer’s Beasts
PX03: The Asshole
(July 10, 2021)The Asshole by Gary Panter (105x160mm) This was originally published as a photocopied mini by Panter in 1979 — what I have here is the reprint he did in 2003 with stiff cardboard covers. And I seem to have bought it in 2008? Possibly? Or later, I guess. I’m not sure I would have guessed … Continue reading PX03: The Asshole
PX86: Chemical Imbalance #4
(July 9, 2021)Chemical Imbalance #4 edited by Mike McGonigal (215x275mm) I was so impressed by #6 of this magazine — it was basically like a music version of The Comics Journal (format wise) — that I got this issue, too. #6 had a bunch of comics relevant to this blog series. But this is a very different … Continue reading PX86: Chemical Imbalance #4
PX91: Cheap Novelties: The Pleasures of Urban Decay
(July 8, 2021)Cheap Novelties: The Pleasures of Urban Decay by Ben Katchor (202x193mm) By this point, Penguin had taken over publishing Raw, so this is a kinda stealthy Raw One-Shot — it’s not presented as such on the front cover. This is a collection of Katchor’s alt-weekly comic strip Julius Knipl, Real Estate Photographer. (Which isn’t mentioned … Continue reading PX91: Cheap Novelties: The Pleasures of Urban Decay
PX Stuff
(July 7, 2021)Silkscreen onto transparent acrylic by Mark Beyer. This blog post is part of the Punk Comix series.
PX83: Raw #5: The Graphix Magazine of Abstract Depressionism
(July 6, 2021)Raw #5: The Graphix Magazine of Abstract Depressionism edited by Françoise Mouly and Art Spiegelman (265x360mm) The Raw editorials started out pretty … er … abstract, but we’re solidly in chatty territory now. We’re told that the Pascal Doury piece in this issue has been censored — all the penises are replaced by white boxes, … Continue reading PX83: Raw #5: The Graphix Magazine of Abstract Depressionism
PX89: Flashmarks
(July 5, 2021)Flashmarks by Carel Moiseiwitsch (212x274mm) I covered this comic in the Fantagraphics Floppies blog series, too, but I couldn’t do a “punk comics” series without Moiseiwitsch, now could I? I see that I drew some comparisons between this work and Sue Coe in that blog post, and… I totally agree with myself. But it does … Continue reading PX89: Flashmarks
PX83: Big Ideas
(July 4, 2021)Big Ideas by Lynda Barry (216x139mm) I’ve got the reprint edition (from HarperCollins) of this book, but I assume the contents are pretty much the same as the Real Comet Press edition? Hm… “The Fun House”? I don’t have that book! Ebay shopping break! *two minutes pass* Yay! Got a copy. And I thought I’d … Continue reading PX83: Big Ideas
PX99: We’re Depressed
(July 3, 2021)We’re Depressed by Mark Beyer (327x330mm) This is a physically pretty unique book — it’s square and has these very thick pages — like a children’s book, I guess. It’s published by Water Row Books, who’ve done a bunch of high end publications. Bruno Richard does a… unique… introduction to the book (which is a … Continue reading PX99: We’re Depressed
PX86: Picture Story 2
(July 2, 2021)Picture Story 2 edited by Ben Katchor (214x276mm) Picture Story Magazine #1 was published by Katchor in 1978… and just eight years later, we have the second issue. This is a 64 page magazine sized book with cardboard covers and thick interior pages. Jerry Moriarty does the mysterious wrap-around cover. We start off with some … Continue reading PX86: Picture Story 2
PX99: Big Baby
(July 1, 2021)Big Baby by Charles Burns (235x312mm) Oh, the edition I have has a glued-in signature sheet, as well as a screenprinted print. Anyway, this reprints all of the Big Baby things — starting with the first two-pager from ram #5. It’s definitely the creepiest one, and Burns says (in the back of this book) that … Continue reading PX99: Big Baby
PX Stuff
(June 30, 2021)Drawing in ink and gouache? on paper by Mark Beyer. I remember where I got this one — it was at the Lambiek comics store, and it was the most expensive thing I had ever bought. I was a student, and I really couldn’t afford it, but I had to have it. I think. Or … Continue reading PX Stuff
PX86: Raw One-Shot #5: Big Baby: Curse of the Molemen
(June 29, 2021)Raw One-Shot #5: Big Baby: Curse of the Molemen by Charles Burns (158x236mm) The end papers set the scene: We’re in a 50s child’s world. Well, that’s nice! “To my Big Baby — Jeffrey”. Or… is it? (I’m not sure whether snapping pics like this is an invasion of privacy or not, so I’ll just … Continue reading PX86: Raw One-Shot #5: Big Baby: Curse of the Molemen
Comics Daze
(June 28, 2021)Today’s a nice day for comics. It’s kinda… grey… Psychic TV: Dreams Less Sweet 14:37: The Gift by Zoe Maeve (Conundrum) Love the artwork here… … and it’s an intriguingly told fantasy about what the tsarinelles’ (that’s totally the correct word for “czar children”) lives (and deaths) were like. But… I just found myself annoyed … Continue reading Comics Daze
PX80: Slash volume 3 number 4
(June 28, 2021)Slash volume 3 number 4 edited by Claude Bessy and others (290x380mm) I thought it might be fun to have a look at a random issue of Slash — it is the birthplace of Gary Panter’s Jimbo, after all. Slash was published in LA, so we get a bunch of local in-jokes, like labelling pics … Continue reading PX80: Slash volume 3 number 4
PX81: Psycho Comics #1-2
(June 27, 2021)Psycho Comics #1-2 edited by Daniel Clowes (216x280mm) What’s this then? Surely this book doesn’t fit the theme of this blog series? No, it doesn’t, but I’m including it for two reasons: It’s from New York in 1981, and, er, I kinda bought these by mistake recently. Both excellent reasons! It’s also a contrast to … Continue reading PX81: Psycho Comics #1-2
PX82: Dead Stories
(June 26, 2021)Dead Stories by Mark Beyer (216x280mm) The odd thing about this book is that it looks so normal. It’s standard magazine-sized, with a heavier paper stock and white, matte paper. Beyer thanks Françoise Mouly, and she did have a printing press, but this surely can’t have been printed there? It’s so… professional. This copy is … Continue reading PX82: Dead Stories
PX87: Work is Hell
(June 25, 2021)Work is Hell by Matt Groening (231x230mm) I seem to remember this sort of thing becoming a tradition in Life in Hell books? Anyway, this is the second Life in Hell collection, and it seems to be more considered commercially. We get an introduction to all the characters, and the characters now definitely have names. … Continue reading PX87: Work is Hell
PX82: Raw #4: The Graphix Magazine For Your Bomb Shelter’s Coffee Table
(June 24, 2021)Raw #4: The Graphix Magazine For Your Bomb Shelter’s Coffee Table edited by Françoise Mouly and Art Spiegelman (265x360mm) This was the earliest issue of Raw I had as a teenager — but it wasn’t the first issue I laid my hands on. I think I started buying them with the next issue? And then … Continue reading PX82: Raw #4: The Graphix Magazine For Your Bomb Shelter’s Coffee Table
PX Stuff
(June 23, 2021)Mark Beyer silk screened poster. This blog post is part of the Punk Comix series.
PX84: Bad News #2
(June 22, 2021)Bad News #2 edited by Mark Newgarden and Paul Karasik (270x390mm) The first issue of this magazine was published by the School of Visual Arts, but this issue was self-published by the editors. It’s in a similar format to Raw, but is a bit taller, which I guess means that it’s in tabloid format? It’s … Continue reading PX84: Bad News #2
PX17: 2016-17
(June 21, 2021)2016-17 by Mark Beyer (144x210mm) Huh. Why do I have two copies of this? Oops. This is published by Le Dernier Cri, and I’m assuming this is … sketchbook stuff from Beyer? The covers are screen-printed and the interiors are offset, I think. This artwork is a lot rougher than Beyer’s usually meticulous style, at … Continue reading PX17: 2016-17
PX81: Raw #3: The Graphix Magazine That Lost Its Faith In Nihilism
(June 20, 2021)Raw #3: The Graphix Magazine That Lost Its Faith In Nihilism edited by Françoise Mouly and Art Spiegelman (268x360mm) Huh. “Half-Raw (issue 3.5), a tabloid issue”? I don’t think that ever happened… Anyway, the first issue of Raw was stunning, and the second was a let-down (relatively speaking). One problem it had was just pacing … Continue reading PX81: Raw #3: The Graphix Magazine That Lost Its Faith In Nihilism
PX86: Raw One-Shot #6: X
(June 19, 2021)X by Sue Coe with Judith Moore and Art Spiegelman (158x236mm) Sue Coe had previously illustrated How to Commit Suicide in South Africa, but this is also written by her. From the title you may have guessed that this book is about Malcolm X… but most of Coe’s pages don’t touch directly upon him. But … Continue reading PX86: Raw One-Shot #6: X
PX87: Chemical Imbalance #6
(June 18, 2021)Chemical Imbalance #6 edited by Mike McGonigal (200x267mm) What’s this then? Isn’t this a blog series about punk comics, not punk music? Yes, but I’d thought it’d be fun to take a look at some of the more prominent zines of the time and see what’s up. So I went ebaying, and this was the … Continue reading PX87: Chemical Imbalance #6
PX Stuff
(June 17, 2021)Mark Beyer screenprint. This blog post is part of the Punk Comix series.
PX89: Corpsemeat 2
(June 16, 2021)Corpsemeat 2 edited by Savage Pencil (300x405mm) This is a huge, all-screenprinted 24 page extravaganza — the printing is really superb. And since it’s screenprinted, they’ve helpfully included sheets of paper in between all the pages to keep the pages from melding into each other, as paint has a tendency to do. About half the … Continue reading PX89: Corpsemeat 2
PX87: Love is Hell
(June 15, 2021)Love is Hell by Matt Groening (230x230mm) This is so weird — I’ve got the British edition of the expanded Pantheon edition of the Caplan collection. What’s so weird about it is that it’s from 1987, when I was 19, and I could have sworn that I had this book when I was like 16. … Continue reading PX87: Love is Hell
PX Stuff: Gary Panter in Slash
(June 14, 2021)Somebody has scanned and uploaded the entire run of Slash Magazine to the Internet Archive. So I thought it might be fun to pick out the Panter pages from that huge PDF and see whether there were any differences between the various editions of Jimbo (in Paradise) and the first printing here… and there is, … Continue reading PX Stuff: Gary Panter in Slash
PX04: Jimbo in Purgatory
(June 13, 2021)Jimbo in Purgatory by Gary Panter (314x445mm) This huge book took Panter a few years to make — started in 1997, and the introduction was written in 2001: And it’s obvious that Panter’s put a lot of work into this. It’s Panter’s most intricate work, certainly… But it’s totally not my kind of thing? Panter … Continue reading PX04: Jimbo in Purgatory
PX06: Jimbo’s Inferno
(June 12, 2021)Jimbo’s Inferno by Gary Panter (285x388mm) I didn’t mean to turn this blog series into Jimbo All The Time (it’s been more than a week now?), but once I started on the first Jimbo book, it seemed natural to just look at them all, since they connect in various ways. Mostly by being partial reprints … Continue reading PX06: Jimbo’s Inferno
PX95: Jimbo
(June 11, 2021)Jimbo by Gary Panter (168x242mm) A Simpsons comics publishing entity had been established a few years earlier (Bongo Comics), and Matt Groening apparently thought that was a good setup for publishing some of his friends, so the Zongo imprint was established. (It’s probably a good idea to keep these comics somewhat separate from the Simpsons … Continue reading PX95: Jimbo
PX Stuff
(June 10, 2021)Jimbo action figure designed by Gary Panter. This was produced by Dark Horse Comics, of all people. And… it’s a bit odd? I mean, Jimbo was never that swole in the comics. Has he been pumping iron and going on the roids? And I know you’re wondering: Yes, there’s a penis under the loin cloth. … Continue reading PX Stuff
Comics Daze
(June 9, 2021)It’s a beautiful day… a beautiful day to say on the couch and do nothing but read comics. 13 & God: Own Your Ghost 12:45: Girl in the World by Caroline Cash (Silver Sprocket) Silver Sprocket publishes a lot of good stuff, but they’re kinda variable? This one is brilliant, though — it’s got such … Continue reading Comics Daze
PX21: Jimbo: Adventures in Paradise
(June 9, 2021)Jimbo: Adventures in Paradise by Gary Panter (230x305mm) This is a reprint of the Pantheon (1988) edition of this book by New York Review Comics. They wisely didn’t use the cover of that book, though, but went with the inner cover of the 1982 edition. We get an introduction by artist Ed Ruscha… … but … Continue reading PX21: Jimbo: Adventures in Paradise
PX88: Jimbo: Adventures in Paradise
(June 8, 2021)Jimbo: Adventures in Paradise by Gary Panter (230x305mm) This Jimbo book is published by Pantheon Books in a less extravagant size than the previous two incarnations. And instead of being saddle-stitched, it’s squarebound, and both of those things make this seem like a more serious, less wild publication. Perhaps it’s to counter that that they’ve … Continue reading PX88: Jimbo: Adventures in Paradise
PX83: Jimbo: A Newwave Comic Art
(June 7, 2021)Jimbo: A Newwave Comic Art by Gary Panter (260x364mm) This is a Japanese edition of the first Jimbo book, and was apparently published the year after. I don’t know what the story behind this was — somebody in Japan saw the book and were so enthused that they had to do an edition straight away? … Continue reading PX83: Jimbo: A Newwave Comic Art
PX82: Raw One-Shot #1: Jimbo
(June 6, 2021)Raw One-Shot #1: Jimbo by Gary Panter (278x368mm) Let’s do a Jimbo mini-series in this blog series: The rest of the week we’ll be looking at various Jimbo permutations. The cover here is corrugated cardboard with a coloured inlay glued to it. And I guessed by looking at it on the intertubes that it was … Continue reading PX82: Raw One-Shot #1: Jimbo
PX Stuff
(June 5, 2021)Painting on acrylic by Mark Beyer. This blog post is part of the Punk Comix series.
PX84: Naked Ladies! Naked Ladies! Naked Ladies! Coloring Book
(June 4, 2021)Naked Ladies! Naked Ladies! Naked Ladies! Coloring Book by Lynda Barry (278x355mm) I hope Steve liked the book. Is that an official designation? Anyway, I don’t think the “coloring book” thing is meant to be taken seriously, but this is a huge black-and-white book with drawings of naked ladies and Barry writing about her childhood … Continue reading PX84: Naked Ladies! Naked Ladies! Naked Ladies! Coloring Book
PX03: Panter Versus Beyer
(June 3, 2021)Panter Versus Beyer by Gary Panter and Mark Beyer (322x465mm) I guess you could call this a portfolio? It’s got four folded sheets of paper in a slightly larger cover/folder. Each sheet of paper is printed on both sides — usually with two separate images on the “outer” side… … and one larger image on … Continue reading PX03: Panter Versus Beyer
PX83: Mark Marek’s New Wave Comics
(June 2, 2021)Mark Marek’s New Wave Comics by Mark Marek (208x270mm) Mark Marek explains how this book came to be published. It’s striking how few of the books I’m covering in this blog series are published by… well… publishers. The alternative comic book market wasn’t huge at the time, but publishers like Fantagraphics did exist, and book … Continue reading PX83: Mark Marek’s New Wave Comics
PX79: Okupant X
(June 1, 2021)Okupant X by Gary Panter (140x216mm) This is a most curious book. It was published in 1979 by Diana’s Bimonthly Press, with a grant from the National Endowment of the Arts. It’s offset-printed (I think; very shiny ink) and stapled. I tried googling the publisher, and I’m finding things like: And: But nothing that says … Continue reading PX79: Okupant X
PX00: Lost Faces
(May 31, 2021)Lost Faces by Mark Beyer (138x122mm) This little 12 page booklet (apparently drawn in 1995) comes in a little sleeve, making the book feel a little more luxurious. Amy & Jordan have gotten a bit chunkier? Other than that, everything is as usual: It all ends as well as you’d suppose. This was published in … Continue reading PX00: Lost Faces
PX83: Raw One-Shot #2: How to Commit Suicide in South Africa
(May 30, 2021)Raw One-Shot #2: How to Commit Suicide in South Africa by Sue Coe and Holly Metz (268x360mm) I’ve had this book for a few years now, but I’ve never read it — I thought it would just be too depressing. Spoilers: It is. We start off with a poem by Bernadine… … but then the … Continue reading PX83: Raw One-Shot #2: How to Commit Suicide in South Africa
PX Stuff
(May 29, 2021)Painting onto cel plastic by Mark Beyer. This blog post is part of the Punk Comix series.
PX80: Raw #2: The Graphix Magazine for Damned Intellectuals
(May 28, 2021)Raw #2 edited by Françoise Mouly and Art Spiegelman (268x360mm) I love that cover by Joost Swarte. I had a subscription to Raw, but when they cancelled Raw after #8, they sent me this poster as a substitute for the remaining issue(s): The poster has a much better tag line than Raw #2: “Putting the … Continue reading PX80: Raw #2: The Graphix Magazine for Damned Intellectuals
PX81: Girls and Boys
(May 27, 2021)Girls and Boys by Lynda Barry (218x139mm) My first exposure to Lynda Barry was in The Comics Journal #92: I was just fascinated by this, and I so wanted to read Ernie Pook’s Comeek. It’s not that these jokes are the funniest in the world (but they are funny) — it was the artwork. Her … Continue reading PX81: Girls and Boys
PX78: Picture Story Magazine #1
(May 26, 2021)Picture Story Magazine #1 edited by Ben Katchor (215x276mm) A lot of the comics I’m covering in this blog series I’ve had since I was a teenager — but more obscure ones, like this book, I’ve picked up over the last few years while thinking about doing this blog series. (Believe it or not, picking … Continue reading PX78: Picture Story Magazine #1
PX84: Raw One-Shot #4: Invasion of the Elvis Zombies
(May 25, 2021)Raw One-Shot #4: Invasion of the Elvis Zombies by Gary Panter (165x233mm) This was published in 1984, and I was 16 at the time. I remember being very puzzled by the book: I’d read a couple of issues of Raw at the time, but this was … something else? First of all, the format: It’s … Continue reading PX84: Raw One-Shot #4: Invasion of the Elvis Zombies
PX84: Raw One-Shot #3: Jack Survives
(May 20, 2021)Raw One-Shot #3: Jack Survives by Jerry Moriarty (268x358mm) This is a book I wasn’t able to find when I was a teenager — I didn’t score a copy until about a decade ago… But I’d seen Moriarty’s pages in Raw, and I’d seen pics of the book itself on the interwebses. But I didn’t … Continue reading PX84: Raw One-Shot #3: Jack Survives
PX83: Bad News #1: World Ends
(May 19, 2021)Bad News #1: World Ends possibly edited by Paul Karasik (210x260mm) According to comics.org, Bad News was: Started as a SVA class project assigned by Art Spiegelman in order to give his students some practical experience. Mark Newgarden confirms in The Comics Journal #161, page 84: KELLY; You used to edit a comic anthology, Bad … Continue reading PX83: Bad News #1: World Ends
PX Stuff
(May 18, 2021)Painting on glass by Mark Beyer. Beyer’s done a bunch of paintings onto acrylics (“plexiglass”) and other kinds of transparent plastics, but this is the only one I’ve seen that’s painted onto real glass. I had this one mounted to that you could see the back, too: Neat, eh? The framer said she never wanted … Continue reading PX Stuff
PX79: Work and Turn
(May 17, 2021)Work and Turn by Art Spiegelman (75x82mm) This curious little book (and it’s very small — 7.5x8cm) was presumably printed by Mouly and Spiegelman on their own press? It’s got one panel per page, but only on the right-hand page… I think it’s about sex and dancing? Some of the pages repeat… … like this … Continue reading PX79: Work and Turn
PX80: Raw #1: The Graphix Magazine of Postponed Suicides
(May 16, 2021)Raw #1 edited by Françoise Mouly and Art Spiegelman (268x370mm) The immediately striking thing about Raw is its size: 27x36cm (or 10.5″ x 14.12″). It’s not quite tabloid size, which would be 11 x 17 inches, so quite a lot higher — the form factor is slightly taller than a European album, but larger. I … Continue reading PX80: Raw #1: The Graphix Magazine of Postponed Suicides
PX80: Ralph Records no. 5
(May 15, 2021)Ralph Records no. 5 by Ralph Records (41x91mm) What? Wasn’t this supposed to be a blog series about comics? What’s this then? A record catalogue? Indeed, because it has this: The Rozz-Tox Manifesto. This may or may not be the first place Gary Panter’s manifesto was published. This page, for instance, says that it was … Continue reading PX80: Ralph Records no. 5
Punk Comix
(May 14, 2021)I grew up on a steady diet of Franco-Belgian comics, Carl Barks and various sundries. But perhaps it was reading my first issue of Raw Magazine that made me a comics fanatic, and I’ve been fascinated with that particular time and place in comics history ever since. Raw, to me, represents something qualitatively different from … Continue reading Punk Comix
Comics Daze
(May 9, 2021)It’s a grey, rainy Sunday… perhaps today is a good day to spend reading comics? It is? Great! Zonal: Wrecked 12:29: In Pictopia by Alan Moore, Donald Simpson and others (Fantagraphics) This is that story from Anything Goes, the Fantagraphics benefit series, right? (Somebody had sued The Comics Journal because they were mad about something … Continue reading Comics Daze
Renegades & Aardvarks Redux
(May 6, 2021)Let’s start off with a list of all the comics, and then there’s a summary after that. Cerebus (1977) #1-25 Cerebus (1981) #26-50 Swords of Cerebus (1981) #1-6
A&R1990: Cerebus #139-150
(May 5, 2021)Cerebus (1990) #139-150 by Dave Sim and Gerhard So, Renegade Press is now a thing of the past, so all I have to do in this blog series is about 150 issues of Cerebus, and then Cerebus Archives and Glamourpuss, and… Let’s get to it. Sim starts off with a jibe at people who didn’t … Continue reading A&R1990: Cerebus #139-150
A&R1988: Spiral Cage
(May 4, 2021)Spiral Cage (1988) by Al Davison Here we are — the final Renegade Press comic. (It’s possible that other comics trickled out after this, but it’s the last #1, though.) And it’s a total outlier in the Renegade library: For one, it’s not a newsprint pamphlet — instead it’s a squarebound book with white paper: … Continue reading A&R1988: Spiral Cage
A&R1988: Starbikers
(May 3, 2021)Starbikers (1988) #1 by Ronn Sutton Sutton writes an introduction and explains what this comic is: It’s a reprint of Starbikers stories that had appeared in the Vortex and Black Zeppelin anthologies. The reason for this reprint is that they were launching a new ongoing title — T-Minus-1 — that had Starbikers as the lead … Continue reading A&R1988: Starbikers
A&R1988: T-Minus 1
(May 2, 2021)T-Minus 1 (1988) #1 by David Day, Ronn Sutton, Gene Day and Dan Day So this is basically yet another Day Brothers anthology (and Renegade had published more than a handful of thse)… but teaming up with Ronn Sutton this time around. We lead off with a Starbikers story (David Day inking Sutton), and … … Continue reading A&R1988: T-Minus 1
A&R1988: Tony Bravado, Trouble-Shooter
(May 1, 2021)Tony Bravado, Trouble-Shooter (1988) #1 by Dave Darrigo, Steve LeBlanc and Louis Paradis You may remember Dave Darrigo from Wordsmith… or not. So here’s him with a couple of newcomers to comics. Let’s read the first three pages. Well… ouch? The artwork is very variable — Tony’s chin grows and shrinks in every panel. And… … Continue reading A&R1988: Tony Bravado, Trouble-Shooter
A&R1988: Suburban Nightmares
(April 30, 2021)Suburban Nightmares (1988) #1-4 by Larry Hancock, Michael Cherkas and John van Bruggen One of the more successful (both commercially and critically) comics at Renegade was The Silent Invasion — so this is a spin-off off of that, sort of. That is, it’s the same creators, working in much the same milieu. And this was … Continue reading A&R1988: Suburban Nightmares
A&R1988: Trypto the Acid Dog
(April 29, 2021)Trypto the Acid Dog (1988) #1 by Bill Mumy, Miguel Ferrer and Steve Leialoha Max Allan Collins (of Ms. Tree fame) writes the introduction here — which is very usual for Renegade. The vast majority of the books have little or no contextualisation… which I kinda like. So let’s skip the introduction and just start … Continue reading A&R1988: Trypto the Acid Dog
Elaine Lee Comics Redux
(April 29, 2021)In my very humble opinion, Starstruck (by Elaine Lee and Michael William Kaluta) is one of the best things… ever… in any medium. But I hadn’t really sought out any of the other books that Lee had written, and I thought it might be fun to do that — while blogging about the experience. Here’s … Continue reading Elaine Lee Comics Redux
ELC1980: Starstruck
(April 29, 2021)Starstruck by Elaine Lee with Susan Norfleet Lee & Dale Place, published by Broadway Play Publishing Inc. Time flies like a banana. The previous post in this blog series was half a year ago, but I kinda forgot to write the final post, since I got sidetracked there for a bit… (Oh, Here’s an explanation … Continue reading ELC1980: Starstruck
A&R1988: Cerebus #112-138
(April 28, 2021)Cerebus (1988) #112-138 by Dave Sim & Gerhard Hey, it’s been a while since this blog series covered a block of Cerebus issues, and that’s because the bulk of the Renegade publications happened while Church & State (vol 2) was rolling. (And there’s only a handful more Renegade series to do after this post.) But … Continue reading A&R1988: Cerebus #112-138
A&R1987: Kilgore
(April 27, 2021)Kilgore (1987) #1-4 by Brian B. Chin and Jesse Jarvis When I’m typing these blog posts (I wouldn’t call it “writing”), I generally do so after I’ve read the entire series I’m er typing about, but I do so as if I was typing in real time while reading? (Rare peek behind the scenes! Secrets … Continue reading A&R1987: Kilgore
A&R1987: Agent Unknown
(April 26, 2021)Agent Unknown (1987) #1-3 by Robert Sodero, Dell Barras and others Man, that’s an amateurish-looking logo. But let’s read the first three pages. As usual in a Renegade series, there’s no contextualisation as to what we’re reading — my immediate thought upon seeing these pages was that this had to be a reprint of a … Continue reading A&R1987: Agent Unknown
A&R1987: Roscoe! The Dawg, Ace Detective
(April 25, 2021)Roscoe! The Dawg, Ace Detective (1987) #1-4 by Martin Trengove and others Roscoe! The Dawg had appeared in various issues of Fox — the Australian anthology, but this is his first solo series. Let’s have a look at the first three pages: Yes, indeed, we’re in zany noir pastiche territory. I assumed that this was … Continue reading A&R1987: Roscoe! The Dawg, Ace Detective
A&R1987: Mechthings
(April 24, 2021)Mechthings (1987) #1-4 by Brad W. Foster Oh, I remember him — Foster used to pop up in various small press anthologies all the time, and I like his artwork and zany humour. Well, the artwork is like I remembered it — it’s kinda… uhm… it reminds me of Howard Cruse (the stippling and the … Continue reading A&R1987: Mechthings
A&R1987: Ms. Tree’s 1950’s Three-Dimensional Crime
(April 23, 2021)Ms. Tree’s 1950’s Three-Dimensional Crime (1987) #1 by Nick Alascia, Pete Morisi, Ray Zone and others OK, I’m up for some 3D Ms. Tree stories… sure… Oops. That didn’t turn out so good. But instead of that, Max Allan Collins and Terry Beatty explain that they just don’t have the time to do a special, … Continue reading A&R1987: Ms. Tree’s 1950’s Three-Dimensional Crime
A&R1987: Robot Comics
(April 22, 2021)Robot Comics (1987) #0 by Bob Burden Burden is, of course, most famous for the Flaming Carrot series, also published by Renegade. This is apparently a reprinting of a comic Burden had done in 1981. “Elecra-Fiction” is the name of the genre. Let’s read the opening spread: OK, so it’s prime Burden lunacy. The entire … Continue reading A&R1987: Robot Comics
A&R1987: Renegade Romance
(April 21, 2021)Renegade Romance (1987) #1-2 edited by Deni Loubert with Trina Robbins Ah, these are comics I remember fondly from when I was a teenager, but I haven’t read them since then. That’s a nice pair of covers from the Hernandez brothers, isn’t it? As usual, I’m bewildered at how little hard selling is going on … Continue reading A&R1987: Renegade Romance
A&R1987: Shadows from the Grave
(April 20, 2021)Shadows from the Grave (1987) #1-2 by Kevin McConnell, David Day and Dan Day I had the second issue of this as a teenager, but I never bothered getting the first one at the time, so I’ve got a bad feeling about this… Well, OK, the artwork by the Day Brothers is pretty nicely rendered … Continue reading A&R1987: Shadows from the Grave
A&R1987: Jacques Boivin’s Love Fantasy
(April 19, 2021)Jacques Boivin’s Love Fantasy (1987) #1 by Jacques Boivin and others This comic has three short stories, all with artwork by Boivin, but with different writers, which is a somewhat unusual approach. The first one is written by Mike Baron (of Nexus fame, presumably). It’s a vignette about a guy without any particular qualities (except … Continue reading A&R1987: Jacques Boivin’s Love Fantasy
A&R1987: Friends
(April 18, 2021)Friends (1987) #1-3 by Bill Dinardo When I was considering doing a blog series about Renegade, the first thing that popped into my mind was “Yeah! Friends! I get to read Friends again!” Which is pretty odd, since I could just re-read it anyway, but… I remember Friends well from when I was a teenager. … Continue reading A&R1987: Friends
A&R1987: Wimmen’s Comix
(April 17, 2021)Wimmen’s Comix (1987) #11-13 The first ten issues of Wimmen’s Comix were published by Last Gasp. I’ve got them here in some shortbox somewhere, but since this is a blog series about Renegade, I’m gonna skip re-reading them now. Besides, I re-read it all somewhat recently when I got the box set collecting the entire … Continue reading A&R1987: Wimmen’s Comix
A&R1987: Kafka
(April 16, 2021)Kafka (1987) #1-6 by Steven T. Seagle & Stefano Gaudiano (I will be discussing the plot of this 35 year old comic here (which I usually don’t much), so if you don’t want spoilers, skip this one.) This was a series I had when I was a teenager — and I remember really liking it, … Continue reading A&R1987: Kafka
A&R1987: Holiday Out
(April 15, 2021)Holiday Out (1987) #1-3 by Michael Vance and an unknown number of other people Content Warning: I’ve tried to keep this blog series polite, because 1) shouting at forty year old comics isn’t cute, and 2) I chose to read these comics of my own volition, and 3) there should probably be a 3). So, … Continue reading A&R1987: Holiday Out
A&R1987: French Ice
(April 14, 2021)French Ice (1987) #1-13 by Lelong, Binet and others You can’t really say that the end is within reach for this blog series, but we are kinda starting to see Renegade winding down: This is the final series they published that reached double digits. But we’re in February 1987, and the black and white boom … Continue reading A&R1987: French Ice
A&R1986: Open Season
(April 13, 2021)Open Season (1986) #1-6, Open Season (1989) #7 by Jim Bricker Hey! I remember this series from when I was a teenager… well… OK, you got me: I just remember having about half of the issues, but I don’t remember anything about the contents. Except it being kinda… like… sitcom-ish? Or was it more drama-ish? … Continue reading A&R1986: Open Season
A&R1986: Revolver Annual
(April 12, 2021)Revolver Annual (1986) #1 edited by Robin Snyder Robin Snyder’s Revolver anthology had been coming out at a steady clip at Renegade — under various names, but with basically the same kind of content: Some Ditko material as the meat of the issue, and then some Henry Boltinoff, and then whatever people had lying around, … Continue reading A&R1986: Revolver Annual
Comics Daze
(April 11, 2021)Hang on… I read comics all day yesterday. Is it possible to do that two days in a row? Let’s find out! Hm… music… I’m still in a nostalgic mood: Let’s go with Talking Heads. Talking Heads: 77 08:48: I Never Promised You a Rose Garden by Mannie Murphy (Fantagraphics) So… this is a book … Continue reading Comics Daze
A&R1986: Eternity Smith
(April 10, 2021)Eternity Smith (1986) #1-5 by Dennis Malonee, Rick Hoberg and others This is Renegade’s first (and I think only) colour book. And it’s a kinda-sorta super-hero book (well, it’s got a guy running around in leotards who has (augmented) powers, so I think it counts). Both are unusual things for Renegade to be publishing… and … Continue reading A&R1986: Eternity Smith
Comics Daze
(April 10, 2021)It’s a nice day for reading comics. And I could listen to… hm… Yeah! I’ll listen to a lot of Bowie. It’s a Bowie kind of day. David Bowie: Space Oddity 06:02: I Wish I Could Say “Thank You” by Yukari Takinami (Fanfare/Ponent Mon) So this book is about the artist’s mother dying from pancreatic … Continue reading Comics Daze
A&R1986: Murder
(April 9, 2021)Murder (1986) #1-3 edited by Robin Snyder Another three months, another anthology from Robin Snyder. The first ones were centred on various Ditko bits that he apparently had lying around, but this one doesn’t mention Ditko at all on the cover. Let’s have a look at how the first issue starts: Well, OK, there’s more … Continue reading A&R1986: Murder
A&R1986: Ms. Tree Summer Special
(April 8, 2021)Ms. Tree Summer Special (1986) #1 by Max Allan Collins, Terry Beatty and Gary Kato I covered the main run of Ms. Tree here, but there’s a couple of specials to mop up. This is the first one: The Rock’n’Roll Summer Special. We’re into the days of the Black and White Boom, and Deni Loubert … Continue reading A&R1986: Ms. Tree Summer Special
A&R1986: The Puma Blues
(April 7, 2021)The Puma Blues (1986) #1-23 by Stephen Murphy and Michael Zulli Oh! This is a series I remember well from when I was a teenager. That is, I don’t remember much of the specifics, but I remember the pensive atmosphere and the sight of those manta rays floating in the sky. It used to be … Continue reading A&R1986: The Puma Blues
A&R1986: Cases of Sherlock Holmes
(April 6, 2021)Cases of Sherlock Holmes (1986) #1-15 by Dan Day and Arthur Conan Doyle We’re in May 1986, a low point in American comics publishing: These are the hectic days of the dreaded Black and White Boom, when dozens and dozens of fly-by-night publishers would get their cousins to draw up something, anything that could be … Continue reading A&R1986: Cases of Sherlock Holmes
A&R1986: Terry Beatty’s The Phony Pages
(March 28, 2021)Terry Beatty’s The Phony Pages (1986) #1-2 by Terry Beatty This is a collection of stuff Beatty had previously published here and there, mainly in the Buyers Guide for Comics Fandom, so I didn’t have high hopes for this mini-series: Especially since it’s from the height of the black and white boom. But let’s look … Continue reading A&R1986: Terry Beatty’s The Phony Pages
A&R1986: Cecil Kunkle
(March 27, 2021)Cecil Kunkle (1986) #1-3 by Charles A. Wagner I had the first issue of this series as a teenager, but never read it for some reason or other. But some trepidation, let’s read the first three pages together: *gulp* The early desktop publishing lettering (I think that’s what it is? Did that exist in 1985?) … Continue reading A&R1986: Cecil Kunkle
A&R1986: Ditko’s World featuring Static
(March 26, 2021)Ditko’s World featuring Static (1986) #1-3 by Steve Ditko This series is sometimes referred to as Revolver #7-9 — Robin Snyder was putting together a monthly series of Ditko stuff at Renegade, but varying the title. And here they’ve kinda-sorta ditched the “Revolver” title, which is probably a good idea, since anthologies don’t sell. Let’s … Continue reading A&R1986: Ditko’s World featuring Static
Comics Daze
(March 23, 2021)What a lovely day. So why not spend it reading comics all day long? Yes, why not. The other day, I tidied up my stacks of unread comics, and I unearthed a bunch of pamphlets and minis hidden in between all the bigger comics, so let’s start with those… and I’ll put a bunch of … Continue reading Comics Daze
A&R1986: The Silent Invasion
(March 22, 2021)The Silent Invasion (1986) #1-12 by Larry Hancock, Michael Cherkas and others I do remember Silent Invasion from when I was a teenager. However, I wasn’t really a fan — that is, I bought the first couple of issues, and then I dropped it. But I have no idea why… I can’t recall what I … Continue reading A&R1986: The Silent Invasion
A&R1986: Howard Cruse’s Barefootz
(March 21, 2021)Howard Cruse’s Barefootz The Comix Book Stories (1986) #1 by Howard Cruse Cruse had published a three issue Barefootz series at Kitchen Sink in the 70s, but had also used the character in the short-lived Marvel “underground” magazine Comix Book. This book reprints these strips. I really like Cruse’s comics — they’ve got a lighthearted … Continue reading A&R1986: Howard Cruse’s Barefootz
A&R1986: Amusing Stories
(March 20, 2021)Amusing Stories (1986) #1 by Scott Shaw and Don Dougherty This was solicited as a continuing series, but only a single issue was published. Half the issue is Dougherty’s Blast — I did a quick Google, and this seems to be the only appearance of these characters. It’s a zany space action comedy thing, and … Continue reading A&R1986: Amusing Stories
A&R1986: Maxwell Mouse Follies
(March 19, 2021)Maxwell Mouse Follies (1986) #1-6 by Joe Sinardi We’re now in the Black and White boom period of the US comics market — patient zero, Adolescent Radioactive Black Belt Hamsters #1, had been released and had shown that people desperate for the next Teenage Mutant etc Turtles would snap up any #1, as long as … Continue reading A&R1986: Maxwell Mouse Follies
A&R1986: Strata
(March 18, 2021)Strata (1986) #1-5 by Joe Judt, Ray Murtaugh, Jim Brozman and others Renegade’s publishing profile is pretty odd, to say the least, but most of the series published by Loubert up till now had been by a single creator, or at most a writer/artist pair. This is the first that has a writer/penciller/inker line-up, I … Continue reading A&R1986: Strata
Walt Kelly Weighs In On The Stan Lee Controversy
(March 17, 2021)(According to this, Lee didn’t start using “Excelsior!” as his catchphrase until 1960, and this Pogo is from 1959, so either the chronology doesn’t work, or… KELLY HAD ESPN!!!)
A&R1986: Manimal
(March 17, 2021)Manimal (1986) #1 by Ernie Colón Renegade was a very hands-off company, editorially… but for such a creator-friendly publisher, they sure were vague about credits. Nowhere in this comic does it say explicitly who created it. Even the indicia is vague: It’s “© 1985”, but by whom? (Who? Hoo?) It was “designed & produced” by … Continue reading A&R1986: Manimal
A&R1985: Cerebus #81-111
(March 16, 2021)Cerebus (1985) #81-111 by Dave Sim & Gerhard This batch of Cerebus comics are the issues collected as Church & State II; December 1985 to June 1988. Let’s see how it starts: Ah, yeah: Cerebus is the Eastern Pope, but had been thrown into the Lower City (of Iest) by a Thrunk, a very big … Continue reading A&R1985: Cerebus #81-111
A&R1985: Revolver
(March 9, 2021)Revolver (1985) #1-6 edited by Robin Snyder Deni Loubert says in the introduction to this anthology that she’s not much of a fan of anthologies. Myself, I love anthologies: Every issue is an opportunity to surprise and delight the readers with something new and unexpected. But I understand why many people shy away from anthologies: … Continue reading A&R1985: Revolver
A&R1985: Wordsmith
(March 9, 2021)Wordsmith (1985) #1-12 by Dave Darrigo and Richard G. Taylor I liked Renegade a lot back in the 80s, and comics like this were a major part of that: Comics that just seem… out of whack with what anybody else was publishing. This comic is about a pulp writer… in the mid-to-late 30s… and… that’s … Continue reading A&R1985: Wordsmith
The Best Comics of 2020
(March 5, 2021)It’s been a year and… some… and I forgot to do a year end summary. I know! It’s what you all were waiting for. So: When I read comics, the ones that are particularly cool end up on a little shelf near the couch where I can look at them fondly while doing other things. … Continue reading The Best Comics of 2020
Comics Daze
(March 2, 2021)Geez. Why did I get up this early? Well, I could spend all day reading comics… it’s been so long since I’ve had an opportunity to do that! Busy busy. OK, I’ve put some oldies on the stereo. Let’s do it. ESG: ESG 08:25: American Splendor #1 by Harvey Pekar A couple weeks back, I … Continue reading Comics Daze
A&R1985: Vicki Valentine
(March 2, 2021)Vicki Valentine (1985) #1-4 by Barbara Rausch and Bill Woggon I definitely had this series as a teenager, but I don’t remember anything about it. Let’s read the first four pages: Oh, this was originally planned as a one-shot? But was expanded into a quarterly series, which I take to mean that the first issue … Continue reading A&R1985: Vicki Valentine
A&R1985: Gene Day’s Black Zeppelin
(March 1, 2021)Gene Day’s Black Zeppelin (1985) #1-5 by Gene Day and others Gene Day died in 1982, but left behind a number of half-finished projects. This series collects these bits and bobs along with other pieces already published in fanzines, as well as new comics from friends of Day. It’s a pretty unique series in that … Continue reading A&R1985: Gene Day’s Black Zeppelin
A&R1985: Valentino
(February 28, 2021)Valentino (1985) #1-3 by Valentino I remember this comic well from when I was a teenager. It seemed fresh and new and original: An autobio comic. Now, this isn’t exactly the first autobio comic ever: I think people usually point to the Binky Brown thing by Justin Green, and there had then been a bunch … Continue reading A&R1985: Valentino
A&R1985: Cerebus Jam
(February 27, 2021)Cerebus Jam (1985) #1 by Dave Sim, Gerhard and others Huh. How did I end up with two copies of this? Anyway, this is the first “new series” published after Deni Loubert left Aardvark-Vanaheim, so Dave Sim does the introduction. Cerebus Jam had previously (much previously) been announced as a bi-monthly title, but I guess … Continue reading A&R1985: Cerebus Jam
A&R1984: Flaming Carrot Comics
(February 26, 2021)Flaming Carrot Comics (1984) #1-4, Flaming Carrot Comics (1985) #5, Flaming Carrot Comics (1985) #6-17 by Bob Burden I think I said in a previous post in this blog series that the only Aardvark-Vanaheim book I didn’t buy as a teenager was normalman? I’d forgotten about Flaming Carrot: I only got a couple of issues … Continue reading A&R1984: Flaming Carrot Comics
A&R1984: A-V in 3-D
(February 24, 2021)A-V in 3-D (1984) #1 by Lots of People The publisher explains that this comic is a sampler to introduce the new line of Aardvark-Vanaheim comics to the public… but it was published a lot later than planned, so it’s not really that much of an introduction. Hey! This Ms. Tree strip was reprinted in … Continue reading A&R1984: A-V in 3-D
CLODS!
(February 23, 2021)A&R1984: Ms. Tree
(February 22, 2021)Ms. Tree (1984) #10-15, Ms. Tree (1985) #16-18, Ms. Tree (1985) #19-50, Ms. Tree 3-D (1985) #1 by Max Allan Collins and Terry Beatty with Gary Kato I covered the first ~ten issues of Ms. Tree over at the Eclipse Blog, but I didn’t re-read the Aardvark-Vanaheim/Renegade comics at that time. I did mostly have … Continue reading A&R1984: Ms. Tree
A&R1984: normalman
(February 17, 2021)normalman (1984) #1-7, normalman (1985) #8, normalman (1985) #9-12, normalman Annual (1986) #1 by Valentino I bought everything that Aardvark-Vanaheim released as a teenager… except normalman. I think I had one issue? And then decided “nuh-uh”. But teenagers have been wrong before, right? Perhaps this is one of those times? THE TENSION MOUNTS Deni soon-to-be-Loubert-again … Continue reading A&R1984: normalman
A&R1983: Cerebus #51-80
(February 16, 2021)Cerebus (1983) #51-80 by Dave Sim and Gerhard I started reading Cerebus with #49 (when I was 15), so you can imagine how confused I was in the first couple of issues. But then a new story started, and things were a lot easier to make sense of. Well, slightly more. I re-read the High … Continue reading A&R1983: Cerebus #51-80
A&R1983: Journey
(February 14, 2021)Journey (1983) #1-14 by William Messner-Loebs I covered this book when doing Fantagraphics, so I’m not going to write about it again: It’s really tempting to re-read it, though… It’s totally spiffy. This blog post is part of the Renegades and Aardvarks series.
A&R1983: Neil the Horse Comics and Stories
(February 13, 2021)Neil the Horse Comics and Stories (1983) #1-10, Neil The Horse Comics and Stories (1984) #11-15 by Arn Saba with Barbara Rausch, David Roman and others Ah, Neil the Horse. I was (counts on finger) 15 when I read the first issue of Neil the Horse, and I was absolutely enthralled. It was love at … Continue reading A&R1983: Neil the Horse Comics and Stories
A&R1982: Michael T. Gilbert’s Strange Brew
(February 11, 2021)Michael T. Gilbert’s Strange Brew (1982) #1 by Michael T. Gilbert and others This is the first non-Dave Sim comic Aardvark-Vanaheim has published, and it’s in a somewhat strange format: It’s the same height as Cerebus, but a couple of centimetres wider — so the form factor is more like a magazine, but smaller. It’s … Continue reading A&R1982: Michael T. Gilbert’s Strange Brew
A&R1981: Cerebus #26-50
(February 10, 2021)Cerebus (1981) #26-50 by Dave Sim We (that is, I) continue our (that is, my) (re-)reading of Renegade/Aardvark-Vanaheim with the second batch of Cerebus comics — the High Society sequence. (Hopefully with fewer parentheses per paragraph than this one (right).) I started reading Cerebus with issue #49 (when I was 14), which is the 24th … Continue reading A&R1981: Cerebus #26-50
A&R1977: Cerebus #1-25
(February 9, 2021)Cerebus (1977) #1-25 by Dave Sim I started reading Cerebus with issue 49, in 1983, and I was 14, and I read Cerebus until it ended some decades later. At first I thought Sim sounded like a pretty smart cookie, but by the time I was 16, I realised that he was just a bundle … Continue reading A&R1977: Cerebus #1-25
Renegades & Aardvarks
(February 8, 2021)(For a list of all comics in this blog series, click here.) I’ve been doing these blog series for the last few years where I’m re-reading comics from the 80s: First I did Fantagraphics, because I really wanted to re-read Love & Rockets one more time, and then the whole idea of setting up a … Continue reading Renegades & Aardvarks
Comics Daze
(January 26, 2021)My sleeping patterns are all fucked up again, so I’ll be reading comics until morn. And beyond? Bobbie Gentry: The Girl From Chickasaw County: The Delta Sweete 01:45: Ric Hochet 3: Comment réussir un assasinat by Zidrou & Van Liemt (Zoom) This is from the Ric Hochet revival: The old series had a certain charm, … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(January 13, 2021)What? Another day of comics so soon after the last one? Yes, I’m slacking off this week. Let’s get readin’. Hilt: Stoneman 10:57: The Contradictions by Sophie Yanow (Drawn & Quarterly) The way Yanow portrays awkwardness is absolutely amazing. On the other hand, the book is such a “oh look how stupid I was when … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(January 9, 2021)Let’s do it! I’ve wanted to do a comics reading day for yonks now, but things keep getting in the way. But now! I’ve got candy! I’ve got a new, soft blanket! (It’s chilly.) I’ve got comics! And Now That’s What I Call Quite 80s on the stereo! Let’s go! The Smiths: Complete (5): The … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(November 28, 2020)Hey! It’s been a while since I did one of these, so… er… there’s a lot of new comics to read. Let’s get started: All comics, all day, until I plotz. Zazou Bikaye: Mr. Manager 11:09: The Impending Blindness of Billie Scott by Zoe Thorogood (Avery Hill) Man, this is a lot, just visually. I … Continue reading Comics Daze
A Panel from a Comic Strip Presented Without Comment
(November 15, 2020)Into the Vortex Redux
(October 16, 2020)Vortex (1982) #1-15 Stig’s Inferno (1984) #1-5 Mister X (1984) #1-14 Those Annoying Post Bros. (1985) #1-18 Kelvin Mace (1985) #1-2 Kaptain Keen and Kompany (1986) #1-6 Yummy Fur (1986) #1-24 Savage Henry (1987) #1-13 Bloodlines (1987) #1-4 Ken Steacy’s Summer Rerun (1987) Paradax! (1987) #1-2 Transit (1987) #1-5 Black Kiss (1988) #1-12 Mister X … Continue reading Into the Vortex Redux
V2018: Hellmington
(October 15, 2020)Vortex (2018) by Justin Hewitt-Drakulic (as Jay Drakulic), Alex Lee Williams and others Hellmington. Justin Hewitt-Drakulic. 2018. ⚁ [two minutes pass] Well! Perhaps I should just get all the films Vortex has produced? Wolfcop was a barrel of laughs, and this starts off really well. [twenty minutes pass] Or… perhaps not? This is like a … Continue reading V2018: Hellmington
V2014: WolfCop
(October 14, 2020)Vortex (2014) by Lowell Dean and others “What’s this then? A MOVIE?!?! BUT THIS IS A COMICS BLOG!” Once again, dear reader, I can read your mind. But you see, after Vortex Comics stopped publishing comics, they… Well, I don’t quite know what they did at first, but they ended up as an independent movie … Continue reading V2014: WolfCop
V1991: Nocturnal Emissions
(October 13, 2020)Nocturnal Emissions (1991) #1-4 by Fiona Smyth Welcome back to the blog that covers all your NASCAR sports racing comics needs. Today we’re… we’re… HANG ON! THESE AREN”T SPORTS COMICS! Yes, Vortex had one last hurrah in the midst of all the NASCAR comics they suddenly started selling: Fiona Smyth’s Nocturnal Emissions, and if there’s … Continue reading V1991: Nocturnal Emissions
V1991: NASCAR Adventures
(October 12, 2020)NASCAR Adventures (1991) #1-8 by a bunch of people Welcome back to the sports blog! We’re all sports, all the time. Today we have NASCAR Adventures, the companion title to Legends of NASCAR, and the way to tell them apart is that one is called “NASCAR Adventures” and the other is called “Legends of NASCAR”. … Continue reading V1991: NASCAR Adventures
Comics Daze
(October 12, 2020)What? Another daze less than a week after the previous one? And… this one starts right after midnight? What can I say… my sleeping patterns are all fucked up. Let’s get started. 00:35: Sweet Time & other stories by Weng Pixin (Drawn & Quarterly) Oh, yeah, the style seemed familiar: A couple of these stories … Continue reading Comics Daze
V1991: The Nascubs Adventures
(October 11, 2020)The Nascubs Adventures (1991) #1 by Andrew Trull and J. C. Caskey Uhm… this is a sports blog about Vortex Comics, right? But is this comic published by Vortex? There’s nothing really indicating that anywhere, and I got this comic from somebody who included it in my NASCAR order. Some people think that it’s by … Continue reading V1991: The Nascubs Adventures
V1991: Legends of NASCAR Christmas Special
(October 10, 2020)Legends of NASCAR Christmas Special (1991) by a bunch of people Here on the Sports Blog, we continue looking at Vortex’ NASCAR series, and this time it’s an Xmas special. Let’s read the first three pages together: Well, that’s kinda cute, isn’t it? These drivers are helping santa. Well whaddayouknow! *slaps thighs* But that’s just … Continue reading V1991: Legends of NASCAR Christmas Special
V1991: Daytona Special No. 1: The Daytona 500 Story
(October 9, 2020)Daytona Special No. 1: The Daytona 500 Story (1991) #1 by Nat and JJ Gertler and Herb Trimpe and others OK, we continue traipsing through the Latter Days of Vortex. Let’s read the first three pages of this special: The Gertlers wrote one of the best issues of the Legends of NASCAR series (that’s not … Continue reading V1991: Daytona Special No. 1: The Daytona 500 Story
V1991: The Legends of NASCAR
(October 8, 2020)The Legends of NASCAR (1991) #1-13 by a whole bunch of people “WHAT THE FUCK!” Yes, if you’ve been reading this blog series from the start (and if you have… why?), that’s what you’re saying now. “WHAT THE FUCK! I CAME HERE FOR YUMMY FUR AND OTHER COMICS ABOUT PENIS MUTILATION! WHAT”S THIS SPORTS SHIT!” … Continue reading V1991: The Legends of NASCAR
V1990: S’Not for Kids
(October 7, 2020)S’Not for Kids (1990) #1, S’Not for Kids (1991) #1 by Matso and a bunch of other people I bought the first issue of this at the time, but didn’t know there was a Vortex connection. And perhaps there isn’t? No publisher listed. Assumed to be Vortex due to Vortex being the publisher of S’not … Continue reading V1990: S’Not for Kids
Comics Daze
(October 6, 2020)Man, I’ve totally screwed up my sleeping schedule again… getting up at two in the morning wasn’t really my plan. But, OK, what better way to spend the night than reading comics, eh? Eh? 04:00: Future #1-2 by Tommi Musturi (Boing Being) Wow! Haven’t seen anything like this in a while: It’s a one-person anthology … Continue reading Comics Daze
V1990: Mister X Special
(October 6, 2020)Mister X Special (1990) #1 by Pete Milligan, Brett Ewins and others This is billed as “Special no. 1”, which probably means that there was a bunch of Mister X specials planned, but this one was the only one published. It’s a 24-page black and white book, but with cardboard covers, and what was probably … Continue reading V1990: Mister X Special
V1990: Badlands
(October 5, 2020)Badlands (1990) #1 by Steven Grant, Vincent Giarrano and others So this is the second ambitious series Vortex launched early in 1990, and like Doc Chaos, it’s also 32-page (well, 28-page), has shiny paper, colour, and lasted one issue. “A Red Fist Production”. Well, the design here isn’t up to Vortex’ usual standards… Anyway, let’s … Continue reading V1990: Badlands
A Panel From A Comic Book Presented Without Comment
(October 4, 2020)V1990: Doc Chaos: The Strange Attractor
(October 4, 2020)This blog post is part of the Into the Vortex series. Doc Chaos: The Strange Attractor (1990) #1 by David Thorpe and Stephen Sampson Based on the name alone (“Doc Chaos”), I assumed that might be a book by Peter Milligan or somebody like that. If there are anybody like that. I mean… Freakwave… Paradax… … Continue reading V1990: Doc Chaos: The Strange Attractor
V1989: Mister X
(October 3, 2020)Mister X (1989) #1-13 by Jeffrey Morgan, D’Israeli, Ken Holewczynski, Shane Oakley and others So this is the second Mister X series, and shopping the issues I didn’t have was an er interesting experience. Most of these covers don’t have an issue number, and you have to read the often-minuscule indicia printed on the inside … Continue reading V1989: Mister X
V1988: Black Kiss
(September 26, 2020)Black Kiss (1988) #1-12 by Howard Chaykin Howard Chaykin was a hugely influential comics storytelling innovator in the 80s. We were all quite impressed by American Flagg, right? All those little insets and the cacophony. Re-reading it the other year, I was struck by how little substance Flagg had: It’s a fun read, but it’s … Continue reading V1988: Black Kiss
Comics Daze
(September 16, 2020)I’m totally taking the day off today, and that means: Comics all day and all night. 13:51: Natacha Collected Edition: Vol 2 by Walthéry, Tillieux, Mittëi and others (Cobolt) I thinking that it’d had been a long time since I ordered anything from Denmark, so here I am now, with 30kgs of new/old comics that … Continue reading Comics Daze
V1987: Transit
(September 16, 2020)Transit (1987) #1-5 by Ted McKeever As a teenager, McKeever’s artwork fascinated me. All my doodles turned into McKeever faces, replete with way too many teeth. Lou Stathis, the editor, writes an introduction to the series. I think he’s going for punk smart aleck, but he lands at hard-sell card salesman with delusions of grandeur. … Continue reading V1987: Transit
V1987: Paradax!
(September 15, 2020)Paradax! (1987) #1-2 by Peter Milligan, Brendan McCarthy and others These are the people that did Johnny Nemo and Strange Days at Eclipse, right? And one of the characters in the latter series was Paradax… So let’s read the first four pages: Wow! That’s a lot. An explosion of colour and silliness, and also (of … Continue reading V1987: Paradax!
V1987: Ken Steacy’s Summer Rerun
(September 14, 2020)Ken Steacy’s Summer Rerun (1987) by Ken Steacy So what’s this then? That looks very familiar… From the Vortex anthology, I guess? Yes. Oh, it’s all from the Vortex anthology? Which I read the other week. Well, that’s a disappointment. The introduction at the back explains that, indeed, it’s from the Vortex anthology. But that … Continue reading V1987: Ken Steacy’s Summer Rerun
V1987: Bloodlines
(September 13, 2020)Bloodlines (1987) #1-4 by Rob Walton I know, this is a blog series about Vortex, but this series started at Aircel, before moving to… Blackburn Videos + Comics (!!!)… before moving to Vortex. 1 issue at Aircel, 2 issues at the video store, and 4 issues at Vortex, so you’d expect 8 issues at the … Continue reading V1987: Bloodlines
V1987: Savage Henry
(September 12, 2020)Savage Henry (1987) #1-13 by Matt Howarth This series is a spin-off from Those Annoying Post Bros, and is, if I remember correctly, less concerned with atrocities and more fun? At least that’s what I’ve gleaned over the years — I’ve been picking up an issue here and an issue there, but I’ve never read … Continue reading V1987: Savage Henry
V1986: Yummy Fur
(September 8, 2020)Yummy Fur (1986) #1-24, Ed the Happy Clown: The Definitive Ed Book (1992) by Chester Brown *gasp* In this blog series, today we’ve come to Vortex’ second claim to fame: Chester Brown’s Yummy Fur. This was at the height of the black and white boom, and you could publish anything (as long as it was … Continue reading V1986: Yummy Fur
V1986: Kaptain Keen and Kompany
(September 6, 2020)Kaptain Keen and Kompany (1986) #1-6 by Bill White and Gary Fields This is one of the Vortex series that’s most unfamiliar to me. I think I picked up one issue over the years, but I’m reading the rest for the first time today. And why is that, if I was such a Vortex fanboy … Continue reading V1986: Kaptain Keen and Kompany
V1985: Kelvin Mace
(September 5, 2020)Kelvin Mace (1985) #1-2 by Klaus Schönefeld, Ty Templeton and others Ty Templeton introduced Schönefeld in Stig’s Inferno as a young guy mainly working in the commercial illustration business, and was therefore swimming in money… But after the Templeton lured Schönefeld back to the comics business, and they collaborated on several things, and Schönefeld also … Continue reading V1985: Kelvin Mace
V1985: Those Annoying Post Bros.
(September 3, 2020)Those Annoying Post Bros. (1985) #1-18 by Matt Howarth and others As a teenager, I read first few issues of this series, but found the nihilistic over-the-top violence off-putting, so I stopped buying it. I have, however, continued to pick up issues now and then, and over the years I seem to have accrued a … Continue reading V1985: Those Annoying Post Bros.
V1984: Mister X
(September 2, 2020)Mister X (1984) #1-14 by Dean Motter, Jaime & Mario & Jaime Hernandez, Seth, and a whole bunch of other people Mister X is an interesting book: Not really for the contents, which are uneven, but for its publishing history. Well… Its history of… not being published. In 1982 (I think it was), Vortex announced … Continue reading V1984: Mister X
V1984: Stig’s Inferno
(September 1, 2020)Stig’s Inferno (1984) #1-5 by Ty Templeton and others Oh, I wrote about this over at the Eclipse blog, so I’m not going to repeat myself here. But it’s a lot of fun. One of my favourite comics as a teenager. This blog post is part of the Into the Vortex series.
V1982: Vortex
(September 1, 2020)Vortex (1982) #1-15 edited by Bill Marks and others Hi! Welcome to the blog series where I (re-)read all the comics Vortex has published. I have mixed feelings about setting out on this er “venture”, because… some of the comics I’ve read so many times (as a teenager) (I’m speaking of Yummy Fur) that I’m … Continue reading V1982: Vortex
Into the Vortex
(September 1, 2020)Often when I’m walking down the street, people will stop me and ask me “Lars, what’s the best mid-80s alternative American comics publisher?” To which I’ll respond by thwapping them over their heads with my backpack, which doubles as an assault weapon. But upon arriving home to my humble garret, I’ll frequently start pondering the … Continue reading Into the Vortex
ELC1994: “Saint in Neon”
(August 30, 2020)“Saint in Neon” by Elaine Lee, published by Marvel. What’s this then!? Ectokid Unleashed? But that’s not Elaine Lee? (Oh, Here’s an explanation of what this blog series is.) No it isn’t, but comics.org says there’s a Saint Sinner story (remember Saint Sinner?) in here, so I’m reading it. So… I have no idea what … Continue reading ELC1994: “Saint in Neon”
ELC2010: Honey West: This Girl For Hire
(August 30, 2020)Honey West: This Girl For Hire by Trina Robbins, Elaine Lee and various, published by Moonstone. Hey! It’s been a month since the previous article in this blog series. That’s mainly because I discovered a couple Lee items while I was doing the main part of the series, so here we are in a mop-up … Continue reading ELC2010: Honey West: This Girl For Hire
Comics Daze
(August 24, 2020)It’s less than a week since I did the previous daze, but I feel like taking a break from triaging Emacs bugs. So… another day of just doing nothing but reading comics. NOTHING ELSE I TELLS YA. 14:48: I Know What I Am by Gina Siciliano (Fantagraphics) OK, I got up a bit late today. … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(August 17, 2020)I should be doing more Emacs bug database spelunking… but I’m taking the day off, and that means: Nothing But Comics Today. 12:32: Un uomo un’avventura: L’uomo del Sertão by Hugo Pratt (Faraos) Oh, wow: New Hugo Pratt!!! I mean, old Hugo Pratt, finally available in a language I can understand! (I.e., Danish.) Huh, this … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(August 1, 2020)The other week I spent all day doing absolutely nothing but read comics (and eat takeout pizza) and writing a couple words about each book, and today I’ve got an open schedule again, so here goes. 06:23: Uncle Scrooge: The Twenty-four Carat Moon by Carl Barks (Fantagraphics) It’s been too long since I’ve read one … Continue reading Comics Daze
Comics Daze
(July 22, 2020)It’s been such a long time since I just sat down with a bunch of new comics… I’ve been reading (eww!) books all spring and summer (in addition to the Epic Comics thing), so my queue of incoming comics has grown to ridiculous lengths. So! Newish blog concept! I get up in the morning, and … Continue reading Comics Daze
ELC1995: Skin Tight Orbit
(July 15, 2020)Skin Tight Orbit vols 1 & 2 by Elaine Lee and various, published by NBM/Amerotica. The US direct sales comics market has been through so many upheavals since it started in the late 70s. It always seems to be either going through a huge growth spurt or a catastrophic downturn? The reason I’m mentioning this … Continue reading ELC1995: Skin Tight Orbit
ELC1990: Starstruck: The Expanding Universe
(July 14, 2020)Starstruck: The Expanding Universe #1-4 by Elaine Lee, William Michael Kaluta, published by Dark Horse. I wasn’t going to do any Starstruck-related stuff in this blog series, but it occurred to me that I had the Dark Horse series, and it might be interesting to read it and compare it to the IDW collected edition. … Continue reading ELC1990: Starstruck: The Expanding Universe
ELC2011: “Mischief”
(July 13, 2020)“Mischief” by Elaine Lee in Chicks with Capes, edited by Lori Gentile and Karen O’Brien, published by Moonstone. OK, this blog series is about Elaine Lee’s comics, and this isn’t a comic book. Instead it’s an anthology of short stories about super-heroes. But I’ve bought it, so I might as well read it. Oh, it’s … Continue reading ELC2011: “Mischief”
ELC1994: Hal Foster’s Prince Valiant
(July 11, 2020)Hal Foster’s Prince Valiant #1-4 by Charles Vess, Elaine Lee, John Ridgway and others, published by Marvel. What on Earth is this, then? A… new Prince Valiant? Published by Marvel? Wat? Oh, Charles Vess has done the plot, and Lee is doing the words, I guess? (Oh, Here’s an explanation of what this blog series … Continue reading ELC1994: Hal Foster’s Prince Valiant
ELC1999: Vamps: Pumpkin Time
(July 10, 2020)Vamps: Pumpkin Time #1-3 by Elaine Lee, William Simpson and others, published by DC/Vertigo. This is the third and final Vamps mini-series, and I wrote about the first one here and the second one here. (Oh, Here’s an explanation of what this blog series is.) Let’s read the first three pages. Well.. the first thing … Continue reading ELC1999: Vamps: Pumpkin Time
ELC1996: Vamps: Hollywood and Vein
(July 9, 2020)Vamps: Hollywood and Vein #1-6 by Elaine Lee, William Simpson and others, published by DC/Vertigo. This is the second Vamps mini-series, and I wrote about the previous one the other day. (Oh, Here’s an explanation of what this blog series is.) Let’s read the first three pages. Oh, the art style has changed substantially since … Continue reading ELC1996: Vamps: Hollywood and Vein
ELC1994: Vamps
(July 8, 2020)Vamps #1-6 by Elaine Lee, William Simpson and others, published by DC/Vertigo. I’m guessing this is the most commercially successful series I’m covering in this blog series — it’s got two followup mini-series and has been collected later. (Oh, Here’s an explanation of what this blog series is.) Let’s read the first three pages. Hey! … Continue reading ELC1994: Vamps
ELC1993: Saint Sinner
(July 7, 2020)Saint Sinner #1-7 by Elaine Lee, Max Douglas, Larry Brown and others, published by Marvel Comics. This book is part of Marvel’s Razorline — basically super-hero concepts from Clive Barker expanded into a line of four continuing series. I approached this series with a bit of trepidation after having read far too many Barker-based comics … Continue reading ELC1993: Saint Sinner
ELC1997: BrainBanx
(July 3, 2020)BrainBanx #1-6 by Elaine Lee, Temujin and others, published by DC/Helix. After a couple of less than totally thrilling series, I’m having high hopes for this series: The best Lee comics I’ve read have been science fiction, and this is science fiction… so there! (Oh, Here’s an explanation of what this blog series is.) I’ve … Continue reading ELC1997: BrainBanx
ELC1995: Indiana Jones and the Spear of Destiny
(June 29, 2020)Indiana Jones and the Spear of Destiny #1-4 by Elaine Lee, Dan Spiegle and Will Simpson, published by Dark Horse comics. (See this for what this blog series is about.) Hm! I assumed that this was an adaptation of one of the movies? Wasn’t one of them called something like “Spear of Destiny”? But it’s … Continue reading ELC1995: Indiana Jones and the Spear of Destiny
ELC1993: Ragman: Cry of the Dead
(June 27, 2020)Ragman: Cry of the Dead #1-6 by Elaine Lee and Gabriel Morrissette, published by DC Comics. (See this for what this blog series is about.) This is the only series Lee wrote for DC Comics proper, but I’ll be covering her Helix and Vertigo (both DC imprints) later in this blog series. Let’s read the … Continue reading ELC1993: Ragman: Cry of the Dead
ELC1990: Steeltown Rockers
(June 25, 2020)Steeltown Rockers #1-6 by Elaine Lee, Steve Leialoha and others. I wasn’t planning on doing the Lee comics in chronological order, but I think this may be the earliest one of the ones I’m covering in this blog series, anyway? (Oh, Here’s an explanation of what this blog series is.) Let’s read the first three … Continue reading ELC1990: Steeltown Rockers
Elaine Lee Comics
(June 24, 2020)Starstruck, written by Elaine Lee and with artwork by Michael William Kaluta is one of my favourite comics. It’s certainly my favourite genre comic — it’s an exhilarating reading experience, and seemed to hint at an entirely new way of doing comics. Over the years, I’ve re-read it many times… mostly because they keep releasing … Continue reading Elaine Lee Comics
Totally Epic
(June 23, 2020)Half a year ago I started (re-)reading everything published by Epic Comics. Today, I finished. It was an… it was an… isn’t there an expression for “big task”? I guess not. It was a big task. And stupid. Let’s not forget stupid — I never should have done it, but I did get to read … Continue reading Totally Epic
The Best Comics of 2019
(February 1, 2020)When reading comics, the ones that seem particularly interesting end up in this little shelf in the living room that I can then sit and ponder. I meant to do this blog post at least a month ago, but time flies, so here goes. And I don’t have time tonight to write anything insightful (hah! … Continue reading The Best Comics of 2019
Totally Epic
(November 25, 2019)I don’t really have time for this, but I’ve started blogging about yet another 80s comics publisher: Epic Comics. Or rather “publisher”: It’s an imprint of Marvel Comics, but was initially running as a somewhat separate entity within the Marvel offices. Don’t expect very frequent posts. Or at least not to begin with, as the … Continue reading Totally Epic
Comics Cavalcade Day 12
(September 3, 2019)Look at that pitiful selection of comics remaining! Will this be the day when I finally conquer the Window Sill Of Too Many Comics? Let’s find out, and as usual: No reviews. The Structure is Rotten, Comrade by Viken Berberian and Yann Kebbi (Fantagraphics) This is a pretty odd book. The authors seem to want … Continue reading Comics Cavalcade Day 12
Comics Cavalcade Day 11
(September 1, 2019)OK, the number of unread comics on the window sill has definitely decreased, so this blog series is working! And, as usual, I’ll just be reading comics and write some uninformed notes, because there’s just no time for reviews. Incomplete Works by Dylan Horrocks (Victoria University Press) This is a collection of short pieces from … Continue reading Comics Cavalcade Day 11
Comics Cavalcade Day 10
(August 29, 2019)The to the finish continues, and as usual, no reviews, just reading. Marble Cake by Scott Jason Smith (Avery Hills) This is such a fresh comic. It’s told via an ensemble cast that more or less all interact with one another kinda randomly, but it all builds up and connects. It’s such a well-observed piece: … Continue reading Comics Cavalcade Day 10
Comics Cavalcade Day 9
(August 28, 2019)OK, I got more comics, but this week I’m going to finish the Window Sill Of Comics for sure for sure and finally bring this blog series to an end. I HOPE. As usual, just reading, no reviews, because there’s just no time. Kid Gloves by Lucy Knisley (First Second) I have rather sworn off … Continue reading Comics Cavalcade Day 9
Comics Cavalcade Day 8
(August 25, 2019)What happened!? How did the Window Sill Of Unread Comics grow while I was away on holiday? Oh, right, I stopped by Comix Experience in San Francisco and bought this little stack of comics. Not to mention this bigger stack of candy. So let’s get reading: Comics Cavalcade Comix Experience Edition! And as usual, no … Continue reading Comics Cavalcade Day 8
FF1972: The Guardsmen of Infinity Portfolio
(August 7, 2019)The Guardsmen of Infinity Portfolio by Carter Scholz and Jim Wilson. This is the second publication from what one might call Fantagraphics’ prehistory. Publisher Groth was a teenager at the time, and I’m going to guess that everybody else involved was, too. You have to love the self confidence displayed in that introduction up there. … Continue reading FF1972: The Guardsmen of Infinity Portfolio
FF1976: Always Comes Twilight
(August 7, 2019)Always Comes Twilight edited by Dave Dapkewicz. Concluding our look at Fantagraphics’ prehistory, here’s Always Comes Twilight, a 48 page magazine sized… thing… printed on nice thick paper. The editor explains what this thing is: It’s a fanzine, and that he’s grown out of comics fandom and will never read a comic again. Which is … Continue reading FF1976: Always Comes Twilight
FF1971: A Selection of Fictional Narratives
(August 7, 2019)A Selection of Fictional Narratives by Dennis Fujitake. A couple of years ago I read all the floppies that Fantagraphics had published. It was a pretty random thing to do, but it turned out to be a fun little project. I used comics.org to get a list of the comics to read, and at the … Continue reading FF1971: A Selection of Fictional Narratives
Comics Cavalcade Day 7
(August 5, 2019)These holidays keep getting in the way of me making some progress in my to-be-read shelf of comics. (I mean window sill.) That’s the point of this blog series: To finally get to Comics Queue Zero. So, as usual, just comics, no reviews, because nobody has time for that. How I Tried to Be a … Continue reading Comics Cavalcade Day 7
Comics Cavalcade Day 6
(July 29, 2019)Eep. I got caught up in an avalanche of Emacs bug fixing, so instead of working my way through the unread comics here, I’ve been slacking off. And buying more comics! Aargh! This blog series will never end! Previous rules apply: Just reading comics, no reviewing, because nobody has time for that. Usagi Yojimbo by … Continue reading Comics Cavalcade Day 6
A Panel From A Comic Strip Presented Without Comment
(July 29, 2019)Comics Cavalcade Day 5
(July 9, 2019)OK, got a really late start today, so this’ll be a short one. But just comics; no reviews, as usual, because busy busy. Heat by Jean Wei (Peow) This sounds like a high concept comic (a fire demon comes to live on a farm), but it’s really sweet. It’s got a quiet ruminative feel. Unfortunately … Continue reading Comics Cavalcade Day 5
Comics Cavalcade Day 4½
(July 9, 2019)I thought I was going to be busy all day today, but apparently not, so let’s do a half day of comics. As usual, the rules are: No reviewing, because we do not have time for that. Soda 12 by Gazzotti and Tome (Zoom) This is a “modern” (i.e., isn’t from the 50s) French-ish series … Continue reading Comics Cavalcade Day 4½
Comics Cavalcade Day 4
(July 3, 2019)The cache of unread comics has shrunk considerably! So let’s get reading, and as usual: No reviewing. Fashion Forecasts by Yumi Sakugawa (Retrofit/Big Planet) So this booklet is based on an Insta thing? Hey, this is amazing. Not only is it funny, but the artwork’s so appealing. Love the colours. It would have been nice … Continue reading Comics Cavalcade Day 4
Comics Cavalcade Day… 3?
(July 2, 2019)The was an unplanned service interrupting in this blog series yesterday (OK, I went to a garden centre and bought a rose bushlet that I then had to plant and etc), but I’m now back to reading comics all day long. And as before: No reviews, because ain’t nobody got time for that. War of … Continue reading Comics Cavalcade Day… 3?
Comics Cavalcade Day 2
(June 30, 2019)It’s day two of the comics reading marathon, and today I hope to put in more hours than yesterday. The rules are the same, though: No reviewing. Nocturne by Tara Booth (2d cloud) This is amazing! It’s a hilarious but simultaneously moving look at an encounter gone wrong and the aftermath. Booth’s artwork is so … Continue reading Comics Cavalcade Day 2
Comics Cavalcade Day 1
(June 29, 2019)I love comics. I mean, as a medium: Most comics suck, but when the comics are good, they’re better than anything. They connect to something in my brain like nothing else. To this day, my most intense dreams are of me stumbling into an unknown back room or cellar of a well-known comics store and … Continue reading Comics Cavalcade Day 1
Eclipse to Pacific
(May 26, 2019)Last summer, I did a little separate blog on Eclipse Comics, and nine months after I wrote the last blog article “proper” for the blog, I finally got the documents about the Toren Smith vs. Eclipse Enterprises court case. So now that that blog is over for reals, I thought it might be fun to … Continue reading Eclipse to Pacific
Today’s Topical Peanuts Strip
(April 22, 2019)Keith Giffen / K. K. Kitten
(April 7, 2019)I finally read the second volume in IDW/Eurocomics brilliant reprinting of the Sinner series by José Muñoz and Carlos Sampayo. It was was published about a year ago, but I somehow missed it. One of the shorter pieces in the book, Over Some Drawings, seems to call out for more attention than it got. I … Continue reading Keith Giffen / K. K. Kitten
Spirou
(March 24, 2019)A while back, I launched an in-depth investigation into a claim that French(ey) comics used to be serialised half a page at a time. Somebody on the internet was clearly wrong (because not even French children are that patient). As I had never myself seen these anthologies, I had to resort to Google for the … Continue reading Spirou
The Best Comics of 2018
(December 31, 2018)*cough* *cough* I think I have a fever? What a way to start the new year. But as I’m stuck here on the couch under a duvet, I might as well type up that “best of 2018” comic thing I didn’t have time to do in December? Sure! When I happen upon a comic that’s … Continue reading The Best Comics of 2018
The Business Dealings of the Lesser-Known Koch Brothers
(November 24, 2018)The Award for the Most 1986 Comics Ad of 1986 Goes To…
(November 23, 2018)A Cover Of A Comics Magazine Presented Without Comment
(October 27, 2018)Pox
(July 11, 2018)Flearman’s comments on the post about footnotes* reminded me that I was going to read all the issues of Pox, the Swedish punk indie comix magazine. So I got buyin’: These are all from Dolores in Göteborg. That’s like…. thousands of pages of late-80s anthologies that I’ll… get around to reading any day now. But … Continue reading Pox
Destruction!
(February 17, 2018)I got a letter with this insert: “Received damaged from abroad”. Destruction! From Australia! Or… Was it pre-destroyed? Hm… Hm!
Cornucopia
(January 31, 2018)I ordered a couple of mini-comics from Quimby’s Bookstore, and I got an amusingly large stack of … stuff. At least I think all this was from Quimby’s; I unpacked a lot of stuff at the same time. I can’t think of where else this would come from. First of all, the two comics I … Continue reading Cornucopia
The Complete Crumb Comics
(January 23, 2018)Robert Crumb is one of the most highly regarded American comics creators, but the past few years has seen both a backlash against his perceived sexism and downright revulsion towards his comics by younger people, as well as a free-floating discussion over teh comix blogs about how Crumb isn’t seen as a major influence over … Continue reading The Complete Crumb Comics
Footnotes*
(January 9, 2018)I was reading the Fantagraphics collection of Zanardi by Andrea Pazienza tonight (it’s not very good; it’s like the stuff you’d stumble upon in European underground magazines in the 80s and be amused by for a couple of pages before you’d get annoyed by the incoherence and bored by the boorish humour and skimmed the … Continue reading Footnotes*
The Curious Case of Neon Lit
(December 18, 2017)Cast your mind back to the early 90s: *biff* *bang* *pow* Comics aren’t for kids any more! After the amazing success (both commercially and critically) of Art Spiegelman’s first Maus volume, many publishers wanted to get in on the action. Literary power houses like Pantheon Books (a part of the Knopf/Doubleday/Random House publishing behemoth), Penguin … Continue reading The Curious Case of Neon Lit
The Best Comics of 2017
(December 14, 2017)Geez! December again. Anyway, I thought that this had been a pretty weak year for comics, but look at how many comics ended up in my “hm; that was pretty interesting” lil bookcaselet. And as an innovation this year: I also found room for comics that has a larger form factor! So much innovation. Let’s … Continue reading The Best Comics of 2017
Tangled Lettering
(December 3, 2017)I was reading Pride of the Decent Man by T. J. Kirsch, published by NBM. It’s OK, but I found myself sort of vaguely annoyed by the diary/letter parts. They look like this: And then I started really staring at the diary (and letter) snippets. And then it hit me: There’s really no other way … Continue reading Tangled Lettering
Neil the Horse and the Big Banana
(October 30, 2017)While tidying the basement, I found these tapes: It’s an old radio show featuring Neil the Horse, originally broadcast on Canadian radio around 1982. So I was like 14 at the time, and I was a major fan of the Neil the Horse comic book series by Arn Saba. I think there was an ad … Continue reading Neil the Horse and the Big Banana
Possibly the Greatest Underground Comix Ever
(October 24, 2017)I’ve been somewhat disillusioned by underground comix lately, but when my ebay search alert for “mark beyer” dinged the other week, I bought this: Lemme Outa Here! is published by Print Mint, and you don’t get more underground than that. I knew nothing else about this when I bought it (other than it having a … Continue reading Possibly the Greatest Underground Comix Ever
An Image from a Superhero Comic Presented Without Comment
(October 3, 2017)The Next Standard in Pink Slips
(October 1, 2017)From Paywall by Joseph P. Kelly on Landfill Editions. Read the review. Buy.
Surprise Twin Peaks Crossover
(October 1, 2017)Did anybody wonder how Phillip Jeffries in Twin Peaks s3 ended up as a tea kettle? |(From Mickey Mouse by Floyd Gottfredson and Bill Walsh, 1952.)
War, Comics, Commerce
(September 25, 2017)“Literary” comics are sometimes more faddy than “genre” comics. Whenever there’s a comic that breaks through to the general public and becomes a hit, it seems like all the major publishers call all available agents and put in an order of whatever genre somebody else had a hit with. After Fun Home (by Alison Bechdel) … Continue reading War, Comics, Commerce
Responsive Comics
(September 13, 2017)The other month I was staring at the Diamonds Previews interface that I hacked up last year. Its main purpose is to allow me (and anybody else) to go through the monthly listings rapidly, without all that clicking and stuff. I was wondering: Has CSS Flexbox technology progressed to the point where the interface could … Continue reading Responsive Comics
Bookshelf Porn
(September 10, 2017)I enjoy those shelf porn posts that pop up from time to time (“Ooo! Books! Comics! Avarice!”) so I thought I’d do one, too, since I just got this fabulous bookcase and is just about finished sorting stuff out to put in it. But first I had to rip out the baseboard so that the … Continue reading Bookshelf Porn
Gosh
(August 6, 2017)I added some further improvements to my Javascript-based “quick scan” Diamonds Previews catalogue site: Goshenite.The main tweaks is to make it a bit more responsive (with a spinner when the cover images haven’t been preloaded), as well as a way to “favourite” certain publishers. If you click a publisher name (up to the left), it’ll … Continue reading Gosh
Not the Best Comics of 2017
(June 22, 2017)After spending so much time last year on that Fantagraphics project, I amassed a huge backlog of comics that I just didn’t have time to read. I guess if I were to put that backlog into a stack, it’d be over two meters high. As usual, some were more interesting than others, and those books … Continue reading Not the Best Comics of 2017
BD Junk
(June 5, 2017)Some months back I got a new record player, and this prodded me into finally re-sampling my old records (that I had originally converted to MP3 back in 1997-ish) so that I could have better-sounding old records. And in FLAC. IT MAKES SENSE!!!1! A lot of the old vinyl are 7″ singles and 12″ EPs, … Continue reading BD Junk
BD80: Tendre Violette
(March 26, 2017)Tendre Violette by Servais & Dewamme (1981) Both Jean-Claude Servais (the artist) and Gérard Dewamme (the writer) are Belgian, which makes a first for this week’s little trip through Franco-Belgian comics, I think? All the other ones have been French. Very French. These stories were originally serialised in the Belgian (À suivre) magazine. I’m not … Continue reading BD80: Tendre Violette
BD80: Gotlib
(March 24, 2017)Rhââ Lovely 1 by Gotlib (1976) Gotlib was a prolific cartoonist, working from the mid-sixties until his recent death. He started out doing comics for the French Pilote magazine before co-founding two magazines, l’Echo des savanes and Fluide Glacial. Out of his dozens of albums, c. nothing has been translated to other languages. Runepress made … Continue reading BD80: Gotlib
BD80: Le génie des Alpages
(March 23, 2017)Le génie des Alpages by F’Murr (1976) Comme des bêtes by F’Murr (1977) Le génie des Alpages is a series started by F’Murr(r) in 1973. It was originally serialised in the French Pilote magazine and then collected in albums from 1976 on. The Norwegian editions I have seem to (unusually enough) to track the French … Continue reading BD80: Le génie des Alpages
BD80: Caza
(March 22, 2017)Scènes de la vie de banlieue by Caza (1979) Caza is a prolific French artist (real name Philippe Cazaumayou) who has been doing comics since the early 70s (and continues to publish to this day). However, very little has been translated into any language I can read. (Except various stuff in various issues of Heavy … Continue reading BD80: Caza
BD80: Rebecca
(March 21, 2017)Rebecca by Brandoli & Queirolo (1985) Neither Anna Brandoli (artist) nor Renato Queirolo (writer) are prolific comics makers. Together, they’ve published five albums, and Brandoli has made one additional book without Queirolo. Rebecca remains their most well-known work. Rebecca began publication in the Italian monthly magazine linus (all in lower case, for some reason) in … Continue reading BD80: Rebecca
BD80: Simon du Fleuve
(March 20, 2017)The first batch of French(ish) comics I wrote a bit about a year and a half ago were mostly all comics that I had read many, many times as a teenager. This time out, I remember even less about these comics than I did the last time. First we have Simon du Fleuve (which means … Continue reading BD80: Simon du Fleuve
BD80 Reloaded
(March 20, 2017)Almost two years ago, I did a small series of posts on a bunch of Franco/Belgian comics. The urge to write about another small stack of them hit me all of a sudden, so: As with the previous series, I’ll be covering works that aren’t well-known these days. There’s not that much point in writing … Continue reading BD80 Reloaded
Hard Boiled Monster Comics
(March 12, 2017)When I started the Fantagraphics re-reading project, I wasn’t really aware of the Monster and Hard-Boiled imprints. So when I bought a bunch of these comics and had a peek at them, I quickly decided to limit the project to “main-line Fantagraphics” only. It was spiralling out of control, anyway, so any way of limiting … Continue reading Hard Boiled Monster Comics
House of Women
(March 8, 2017)After being exhausted by the Fantagraphics marathon I’ve somewhat avoided comics, but all exhaustion must come to an end, so I bought House of Women by Sophie Goldstein. I don’t really want to review it (it’s a sci-fi gothic horror story, I guess), because I don’t really have much to say other than “I liked … Continue reading House of Women
Half Page BD: An RT Investigation
(January 16, 2017)A while ago I read the following in an article on Hooded Utilitarian: […] the revolution that really drove Heavy Metal was very distinctly French and had a lot more to do with the format of how French comics were serialized than with any kind of musical aesthetic, something that is largely transparent to Anglophones. … Continue reading Half Page BD: An RT Investigation
Fantagraphics Floppies Redux
(January 6, 2017)Done! Perhaps I should just leave it at that, but I feel like bloviating a bit. (“NO! REALLY?”) But at the end of this post, there’ll be an index. Feel free to skip to it if you’re the index reading kind of person. (The following should probably be read in the voice of Comic Book … Continue reading Fantagraphics Floppies Redux
FF2016: Love and Rockets
(January 5, 2017)Love and Rockets volume 4 #1 by Jaime Hernandez and Gilbert Hernandez. So here we are: The final post in this blog series about Fantagraphics comic book comics. And eerily enough, we end with the same series we started with: Love and Rockets. I didn’t plan this, but the first issue in the new series … Continue reading FF2016: Love and Rockets
FF1990: Fringe/Fauna
(January 4, 2017)The Fauna Rebellion #1-3, Adventures on the Fringe #1-5 by R. L. Crabb. Fantagraphics had previously published The Natural Enquirer by 70s underground veteran R. L. Crabb. The Fauna Rebellion was apparently created in the mid-80s, but not published until 1990. It’s about animals staging a rebellion against humans. The joke above is typical for … Continue reading FF1990: Fringe/Fauna
FF2001: Fuzz & Pluck in Splitsville
(January 3, 2017)Fuzz & Pluck in Splitsville #1-5 by Ted Stearn. The physical format of this series is reminiscent of La Perdida, published a few years earlier: It’s slightly smaller than standard US comic book size, is thick (most issues are 48 pages) and has stiff covers. We last saw our plucky pair in the Zero Zero … Continue reading FF2001: Fuzz & Pluck in Splitsville
FF1991: Perramus: Escape from the Past
(January 2, 2017)Perramus: Escape from the Past by Alberto Breccia and Juan Sasturain. Hi! I had hoped to end this blog series about Fantagraphics last year, but having the scheduling slide is so very Fantagraphics, isn’t it? Only three more posts to go, though. Very early-90s Fantagraphics design courtesy of Dale Yarger. Anyway, strangely enough, I did … Continue reading FF1991: Perramus: Escape from the Past
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
FF1993: Grit Bath
(November 30, 2016)Grit Bath #1-3 by Renée French. Renée French always felt to me like a part of a mini-movement within alternative comics that upped the body horror stakes beyond what was, perhaps, reasonable. I’m thinking of artists like Al Colombia and Dave Cooper, that all mix childish whimsy with horrible, horrible squishy horror. They’re all sort … Continue reading FF1993: Grit Bath
FF2006: Swamp Preacher
(November 29, 2016)Swamp Preacher #1 by David Sandlin. Sandlin is an artist who’s only done a handful of comics, I think. He’s had a few pieces in Blab, I seem to recall. This magazine sized book is strikingly printed in burgundy and green (and no black ink), giving the pages a muddy, swampy look very apposite for … Continue reading FF2006: Swamp Preacher
FF1990: Amazons
(November 28, 2016)Amazons by Frank Stack. Frank Stack is a first-generation underground artist: His first underground comic was published in 1962 (The Adventures of Jesus), but he hasn’t published that many books. Amazons is one of his rare 80s/90s solo floppies, and I don’t know whether it’s an original work, or whether it’s a collection of pieces … Continue reading FF1990: Amazons
FF1993: Sleepy/Whotnot
(November 27, 2016)Whotnot #1-4, Sleepy: The Early Daze by Jeremy Eaton. Eaton is probably most well-known for his alternative weekly strip “A Sleepyhead Tale” from the late 80s/early 90s. Fantagraphics released a handful of collections of that series, but only one of them are in floppy format, so I get to skip the rest for this blog … Continue reading FF1993: Sleepy/Whotnot
FF1986: Usagi Yojimbo
(November 26, 2016)Usagi Yojimbo Summer Special #1, Usagi Yojimbo #1-38, Usagi Yojimbo Color Special #1-4 by Stan Sakai. There aren’t many Fantagraphics series that has had more issues than Usagi Yojimbo (uhm, Love & Rockets and Naughty Bits), but they were all published over a long time period. Usagi Yojimbo is the only character focused Fantagraphics publication … Continue reading FF1986: Usagi Yojimbo
FF1995: Mystic/Loathing
(November 25, 2016)Self-Loathing Comics #1-2 by Aline Kominsky-Crumb and Robert Crumb. Mystic Funnies #1-3 by Robert Crumb. Fantagraphics has published a large number of Crumbian books, most notably the Complete Crumb Collection in the 80s, and the Love That Bunch collection in 1990. But they haven’t really published a lot of their original comics, just various collections. … Continue reading FF1995: Mystic/Loathing
FF1993: An Accidental Death
(November 24, 2016)An Accidental Death by Eric Shanower and Ed Brubaker. On the face of it, this seems like a rather unlikely thing for Fantagraphics to have published: A standalone story about a psycho teenager murdering a girl on Guantanamo, and then his non-psycho friend helping him, created by two people well ensconced within mainstream US comics. … Continue reading FF1993: An Accidental Death
FF2003: Storylines: An Anthology of Emerging Cartoonists
(November 23, 2016)Storylines: An Anthology of Emerging Cartoonists #1 edited by James Sturm. As anthologies go, this is unassuming physically: Standard size comic book, thin paper, a slightly vague cover. Most of the pieces are obviously not drawn with a comic book format in mind: Most leave a wide border at the top and the bottom, which … Continue reading FF2003: Storylines: An Anthology of Emerging Cartoonists
FF2003: Ape
(November 22, 2016)Ape by Theodoros Nikos Jouflas. Jouflas appeared in various anthologies (like Pictopia) throughout the 90s, and published two books, both of which I vaguely remember as being collections of shorter pieces (Scary and Filthy). But I may be misremembering; it’s a long time since I’ve read those. This 32 page magazine (with stiff covers) is … Continue reading FF2003: Ape
FF1990: 3 Fox Comics
(November 21, 2016)Tattoo Man Special #1 by Dave Hodson and Greg Gates. Walking Wounded #1, True Confusions #1 by Dave Hodson. These comics were part of the attempt by the Australian Fox Comics to get wider distribution by co-publishing with Fantagraphics. The Fox Comics anthology was being published somewhat concurrently with these comics. Tattoo Man reprints the … Continue reading FF1990: 3 Fox Comics
FF1999: Steven
(November 20, 2016)Steven Presents Dumpy, Steven Comix #2: Steven at Sea by Doug Allen. Steven is a long-running weekly strip that’s mostly featured in alternative magazines and newspapers. While these two comics have titles that seem to hint at more focussed tales, they turn out to just reprint a bunch of Steven strips. Eight issues had previously … Continue reading FF1999: Steven
FF1998: Pop Life
(November 19, 2016)Pop Life #1-5 by Ho Che Anderson and Wilfred Santiago. I’m running out of Fantagraphics pamphlets to write articles about here. (Was that a sigh of relief I heard?) But that’s not because I’ve done them all. No, it’s just that I’m stalled since I’m waiting for a bunch of comics to arrive in the … Continue reading FF1998: Pop Life
FF1998: Top Notch Comics
(November 18, 2016)Top Notch Comics #1 by Ethan Persoff. I remember this comic being somehow controversial, but I can’t quite remember why. There are some very Chris Ware-esque things about it. It has an unusual size, it’s printed in duo-tone, and it uses blurred backgrounds. There are things to cut out and assemble. There’s a fake ad. … Continue reading FF1998: Top Notch Comics
FF2004: Noire Orange
(November 17, 2016)Blood Orange #1-4, Bête Noire: The International Comic Art Quarterly #1 edited by Chris Polkki. Since Bête Noire is termed an “international” quarterly, and Blood Orange isn’t, and they have the same format and editor, I assumed that Blood Orange would be an all-American feast. But, nope, the Orange has got plenty of foreigners, too. … Continue reading FF2004: Noire Orange
FF1993: Meat Cake
(November 16, 2016)Meat Cake #0-17 by Dame Darcy. I’m going to try to write this blog article without using the word “quirky”. Oops! I remember getting these comics about once a year throughout the 90s, and every time I was all “yay!”. It’s an utterly original comic book, filled with strange adventures and loopy, obsessive artwork. There … Continue reading FF1993: Meat Cake
FF2005: Tales Designed to Thrizzle
(November 15, 2016)Tales Designed to Thrizzle #1-8 by Michael Kupperman. I’m a bit exhausted. Laughing so hard your eyes are streaming for two or three hours takes a toll. Kupperman used to work under the pen name “P. Revess”, and published pieces in various anthologies throughout the 90s, I think. His method hasn’t really changed much: He … Continue reading FF2005: Tales Designed to Thrizzle
FF1995: Minimum Wage
(November 14, 2016)Minimum Wage #1-10, Monkey Jank by Bob Fingerman. Fantagraphics had published an introductory Minimal Wage graphic novel before starting this series, which is perhaps an unusual publishing strategy. Fingerman had also published a number of porn comics through Eros before this series. Minimum Wage is about a guy who’s a comic book artist, living in … Continue reading FF1995: Minimum Wage
FF1993: The ACME Novelty Library
(November 13, 2016)The ACME Novelty Library #1-15 by Chris Ware. Yikes. Or… finally? Chris Ware? If you asked me drunkenly at a bar sometime “Say, Lars, who’s your favourite comic book artist?”, I’d sputter and be all “er, uhm”, but if you limited it to “favourite American comic book artist that started in the 90s and is … Continue reading FF1993: The ACME Novelty Library
FF2002: Belly Button Comix
(November 12, 2016)Belly Button Comix #1-2 by Sophie Crumb. It’s fun to see how Crumb’s artwork evolves over these two issues, created while she was between 19 and 22, I think. Crumb’s trying out a lot of styles, like this very late-60s underground bigfoot style. And then a very worked-at realistic illustration. And then washes. Anyway, the … Continue reading FF2002: Belly Button Comix
FF2003: Funny Friends
(November 11, 2016)Mabel Normand and Her Funny Friends, Fatty Arbuckle and His Funny Friends edited by Marilyn Slater. These two magazine sized comics collects pieces of a British publication from 1921, now in the public domain. Each issue includes a brief biography of the movie star in question. But the meat of each issue is the reprinting … Continue reading FF2003: Funny Friends
FF2004: Holy Moly
(November 10, 2016)Holy Moly by Leah Hayes. Fantagraphics doesn’t work a lot with the materiality of their books: The vast majority of them are unremarkable as physical objects. This is quite different from some of their smaller peers, where they often have unique sizes, papers or printing methods. This is one of those rare unique floppies from … Continue reading FF2004: Holy Moly
FF2005: Grenuord
(November 9, 2016)Grenuord #1-3 by Francesca Ghermandi. I am not a comics publishing genius, but serialising a translation of an Italian graphic novel as a series of $5-6 comic books, in 2005, published with a four-month interval between each issue, does not seem like the plan most likely to succeed. It’s told in a decompressed style: Big … Continue reading FF2005: Grenuord
FF1996: Primitive Cretin
(November 8, 2016)Primitive Cretin by Henriette Valium. This is an oversized collection of Henriette Valium’s work from the early 90s. It’s slightly wider than a magazine, and quite a bit taller. Kim Thompson hadpublished Valium earlier in Zero Zero, but the smaller size of that anthology meant that most of Valium’s drawings were somewhat difficult to make … Continue reading FF1996: Primitive Cretin
FF1994: Way Out Strips
(November 7, 2016)Way Out Strips volume 3 #1-4 by Carol Swain. I’ve been a massive fan of Carol Swain ever since I happened onto one of her short, oblique, beautifully drawn stories in an issue of Chris Reynold’s Mauretania magazine. After that, she self-published four issues of the first Way Out Strips series, but I’ve never been … Continue reading FF1994: Way Out Strips
FF1990: Art/Leather/Knuckle/Zoot!
(November 6, 2016)Art d’Ecco #1-4, Zoot! #1-6 by Andrew and Roger Langridge. Leather Underwear, Knuckles the Malevolent Nun #1-2 by Cornelius Stone and Roger Langridge. I had read the first issue of Art d’Ecco before, but that had apparently not inspired me to buy the rest of the issues at the time. How exciting! Is it going … Continue reading FF1990: Art/Leather/Knuckle/Zoot!
FF1994: Different Beat Comics
(November 5, 2016)Different Beat Comics #1 edited by Kim Thompson. This book features a bunch of short (mostly two page) pieces that either are previously unpublished or are very obscure. It’s meant as both a way to read those obscure pieces and as a promotional tool: All artists featured had regular series going at Fantagraphics at the … Continue reading FF1994: Different Beat Comics
FF1991: I Before E
(November 4, 2016)I Before E #1-2 by Sam Kieth. These two issues reprint a lot of Sam Kieth’s early work; Kieth had become a hot artist over the past few years. I like how “Fantagraphics” isn’t mentioned at all on the covers. Perhaps keeping that fact a secret would entice Sandman fans to buy them? The most … Continue reading FF1991: I Before E
FF1991: Guttersnipe D
(November 3, 2016)Avenue D, Guttersnipe Comics #1-2 by Glenn Head. I guess you could call Glenn Head a third generation underground comix artist. His comics seem to belong to that lineage even if he started working in the 80s. Avenue D collects various bits and pieces into a 48 page magazine sized single author anthology. About half … Continue reading FF1991: Guttersnipe D
FF1989: Stinz
(November 2, 2016)Stinz #1-4 by Donna Barr. Stinz had been running in the Dreamery anthology by Eclipse Comics for a while, but the Fantagraphics title is his first solo comic. Stinz is a half-horse living in an alternate reality Austria in the early 1900s. Rather high concept, eh? But it’s fun. Barr has a lively drawing style … Continue reading FF1989: Stinz
FF1992: Not Love & Rockets
(November 1, 2016)Ten Years of Love and Rockets, Tales from Shock City #1, Blubber #1-3 by Beto Hernandez with Mario Hernandez and Jaime Hernandez. These are comics that I should have covered in the Love and Rockets blog post, perhaps. At least the first one. Probably not the last one. It’s a bit of a mish-mash, but … Continue reading FF1992: Not Love & Rockets
FF1992: Crap
(October 31, 2016)Bummer #1, Completely Bad Boys, Crap #1-7, Damnation! #1 by J. R. Williams. I covered Bad Comics, oh, months ago (how much further to go!!!), and should probably have done these ones at the same time, but I forgot. So you get two J. R. Williams posts. I have the Cat-Head Comics edition of Bummer … Continue reading FF1992: Crap
FF1992: Suburban Voodoo Comics
(October 30, 2016)Suburban Voodoo Comics by Matthew Guest. This is a 48 page one-shot (edited by Robert Boyd) with three stories that all seem like they might be autobiographical. They’re tales of normal teenage life… … and Christian damage. The artwork is rather appealing, but I can’t help wonder whether something has gone wrong in the printing … Continue reading FF1992: Suburban Voodoo Comics
FF1989: Waldo
(October 29, 2016)Shadowland #1-2, Stuff of Dreams #1-3 by Kim Deitch. The Mishkin File, The Boulevard of Broken Dreams, Waldo World #1-3 by Kim and Simon Deitch. Kim Deitch (sometimes in collaboration with his brother Simon) has spun this long interconnected tale for decades, spread out over a number of titles and collections. One part of this … Continue reading FF1989: Waldo
FF1992: Sap Tunes
(October 28, 2016)Sap Tunes #1-2 by Granger Davis and Steve Kongsle. I’m finding out now that Fantagraphics sure released a lot of, er, very short series by artists I’ve never heard of. Here’s another one. Davis does a pair of pieces about this guy… … who works in retail, is slightly disgruntled with stupid customers (see above), … Continue reading FF1992: Sap Tunes
FF1992: WildB.R.A.T.S: Bad Redundant Art Teams
(October 28, 2016)WildB.R.A.T.S: Bad Redundant Art Teams #1 by Dean Williams and Aaron McClellan. Dean Williams… where have I seen that name before? Oh, we wrote the execrable Butt Biscuit series from Fantagraphics. *gulp* Well, Fantagraphics has published a few parody comics over the years, but they usually make fun of things that are considered interesting by … Continue reading FF1992: WildB.R.A.T.S: Bad Redundant Art Teams
FF1992: S.O.S.
(October 27, 2016)S.O.S. by Mark Kalesniko. This is brief, mostly wordless story about surviving on your own in the big, bad world. So allegory. But while somewhat hokey, it’s attractively drawn and somewhat touching. Here we see our hero take a bite out of the nasty shark. See? Allegory! I think this may be the first Kalesniko … Continue reading FF1992: S.O.S.
Excerpt from What Paper? The Printing Aficionado Magazine, Issue 15, Volume XXIV, 2015
(October 27, 2016)Review of the printing of the Dover edition of The Puma Blues (by Stephen Murphy and Michael Zulli) printed by RR Donnelley in China. Paper stock unknown. When Dover announced a collected edition of the 80s series The Puma Blues, we here at What Paper? anxiously examined the press release for phrases like “shot from … Continue reading Excerpt from What Paper? The Printing Aficionado Magazine, Issue 15, Volume XXIV, 2015
FF1989: Kafka: The Execution
(October 26, 2016)Kafka: The Execution by Leopoldo Durañona. Fantagraphics were publishing fellow South Americans Muñoz & Sampaya in a similar format to this (magazine size with cardboard covers) at the time (as well as anthologising Francisco Solano Lopez). I’m not familiar with Durañona’s work, but this is kinda interesting. The artwork is a bit reminiscent of Moebius. … Continue reading FF1989: Kafka: The Execution
FF1989: The Eye of Mongombo
(October 25, 2016)The Eye of Mongombo #1-7 by Doug Gray. Before this series, Doug Gray had a couple of appearances in Critters, I think. The Eye of Mongombo is a pretty funny comic book about that archaeologist up there (transformed into a duck) who looks for a treasure in South America. Hijinx ensue. A lot. I find … Continue reading FF1989: The Eye of Mongombo
On a Roll
(October 24, 2016)I bought these comics by CF a few months back, but they, er, rolled behind a stack of comics, so I forgot about them until tonight. They’re printed on thermal receipt paper, so they’re monochromatic, but CF has customized them a bit with various stamps at the start and end of each roll. Winding them … Continue reading On a Roll
FF1999: Neatish Stuff
(October 24, 2016)The Bradleys #1-6, Junior #1-5 by Peter Bagge. Martini Baton by Dave Carrino and Peter Bagge. These are all reprints, and since I’ve read the books these were sourced from (Neat Stuff and Weirdo), I considered skipping them. But then my CDO fired (it’s like OCD, but with the letters in the proper order), and … Continue reading FF1999: Neatish Stuff
FF1988: Stickboy
(October 23, 2016)Stickboy #1-3 by Dennis Worden. Stickboy had been published by a different publisher before Fantagraphics stepped in, and it would continue to be published by various publishers after Fantagraphics bowed out. I haven’t read any of those incarnations, though. The first Fantagraphics issue starts off like a normal pre-slacker comic book, what with Stickboy looking … Continue reading FF1988: Stickboy
The Comics Journal Search Engine
(October 22, 2016)In connection with my grand Fantagraphics re-reading project, I took out a subscription to the Comics Journal archives so that I could look up older reviews for these old comics. That turned out to be easier said than done, because the TCJ archive consists of one scanned JPEG per Comics Journal page, and there’s no … Continue reading The Comics Journal Search Engine
FF1997: La Artbabe
(October 22, 2016)Artbabe volume 2 #1-4, La Perdida #1-5 by Jessica Abel. Artbabe started out as a self-published mini-comic, and then Abel got a Xeric grant and published the final issue of Volume 1 as a standard-size US comic book (with real distribution). I haven’t got the first four issues (although I may have the collection here … Continue reading FF1997: La Artbabe
FF1991: Kid Anarchy
(October 21, 2016)Kid Anarchy #1-3 by George Cole and Mike McCarthy. Picking up a comic book with from a writer/artist pair always makes me sceptical. Statistically speaking, single author comics are better. But perhaps this one is the one that will convince me once and for all that that’s a stupid prejudice! Yes! Oh, deer. Gander at … Continue reading FF1991: Kid Anarchy
FF1983: Don Rosa’s Comics and Stories
(October 20, 2016)Don Rosa’s Comics and Stories #1-2 by Don Rosa. This may have been something like the third comic series that Fantagraphics published (after Love & Rockets and Hugo). It was apparently planned as an ongoing series, but was axed after two issues. This magazine sized comic book reprints The Pertwillaby Papers, which had previously been … Continue reading FF1983: Don Rosa’s Comics and Stories
FF1995: Zero Zero
(October 19, 2016)Zero Zero #1-27 edited by Kim Thompson. There have been a few anthologies that have defined generations. These things seem to happen when there’s a happy confluence between an editor (or editors) and a new, burgeoning scene: There are artists that people sum up as “Raw artists”, for instance, because Françoise Mouly and Art Spiegelman … Continue reading FF1995: Zero Zero
FF2014: DKW: Ditko Kirby Wood
(October 18, 2016)DKW: Ditko Kirby Wood by Sergio Ponchione. This comic book (colour, slick pages) is a translation of material previously published in Italy, which is a pretty unusual thing to do in 2014 (since alternative pamphlets don’t seem to sell much). It’s dedicated to the recently deceased Fantagraphics co-publisher Kim Thompson. Anyway, there’s a framing story … Continue reading FF2014: DKW: Ditko Kirby Wood
FF2006: Monster Parade
(October 18, 2016)Monster Parade #1 by Ben Catmull. Apparently meant to be a series, only one issue was published. It’s a quirkily amusing book. Here we have a winter storm… And here we learn how certain kinds of perfume are made, and it does explain a lot. The stories are rather oblique. They set a mood, and … Continue reading FF2006: Monster Parade
FF2006: Runaway Comics
(October 17, 2016)Runaway Comics #1-3 by Mark Martin. Mark Martin is not a very prolific artist and is probably most famous for his Gnatrat series (or his duo comic book with Jim Woodring, Tantalizing Stories). So a new solo series from him was exciting. Martin is an excellent cartoonist. The stories in Runaway Comics mostly feature his … Continue reading FF2006: Runaway Comics
FF2013: 3 New Comics
(October 16, 2016)3 New Stories, Cosplayers #1-2 by Dash Shaw. The major alternative publishers have all but stopped publishing comic book comics, so it was quite a surprise when Fantagraphics dropped 3 New Stories on an unsuspecting public in 2013. According to the comics database and my notes here, Fantagraphics had published no new pamphlet series since … Continue reading FF2013: 3 New Comics
FF1999: Death & Candy
(October 15, 2016)Death & Candy #1-4 by Max Andersson. Max Andersson is a Swedish cartoonist who make nightmarish stream of consciousness comics. Andersson’s style takes me back to early 80s New York newave comics: Macabre and funny stuff in a blender. Here’s Car Boy, one of Andersson’s more recognisable characters. The print quality of the first issue … Continue reading FF1999: Death & Candy
FF1999: Spicecapades
(October 14, 2016)Spicecapades edited by Queen Itchie. By 1999, I would have thought that Spice Mania had subsided? So it was probably too late publish this to cash in, but perhaps that wasn’t the point, anyway… So what’s up here? If not a cash grab, is it an honest appreciation or ironic appropriation? “No thanks to all … Continue reading FF1999: Spicecapades
FF1997: Poot
(October 13, 2016)Poot #1-4 by Walt Holcombe. The last three issues of this series are in a format that’s a bit smaller than standard-size US comics, while this first one is very small indeed. Around this time, there seemed to be a lot of comics in vaguely this style: Slick, cartoony, anthropomorphic and wistful tales of love … Continue reading FF1997: Poot
FF1996: Rollercoaster
(October 12, 2016)Rollercoaster #1-2 by Rich Tomasso. Tomasso had previously published the Clover Honey graphic novel at Fantagraphics (and the Cannibal Romance series at Eros), but Rollercoaster seems like an attempt at creating one of those single author anthologies that Fantagraphics published so many of. The major story in the first issue is about a girl who … Continue reading FF1996: Rollercoaster
FF2004: Worn Tuff Elbow
(October 12, 2016)Worn Tuff Elbow #1 by Marc Bell. This magazine sized book was apparently planned as a series, but only one issue was published. Since the cover says “Theatre Absurd-O”, I thought that this was going to be weirder than it is. I’ve gotta get me some 250% moisturisation, too. Anyway, most of the issue is … Continue reading FF2004: Worn Tuff Elbow
FF1994: Raisin Doofus
(October 11, 2016)Doofus #1-2, Raisin Pie #1-5 by Rick Altergott and Ariel Bordeaux. Doofus had been running in various anthologies, but must prominently as a backup feature in Hate. So spinning it off into its own title probably seemed quite natural. I’ve never enjoyed reading Doofus, but haven’t really examined why. It’s obvious why people would find … Continue reading FF1994: Raisin Doofus
FF1997: Steve Ditko’s Strange Avenging Tales
(October 10, 2016)Steve Ditko’s Strange Avenging Tales #1 by Steve Ditko. After leaving Marvel in the early 70s, Ditko has been publishing a stream of Ayn Rand-inspired comics at any publisher that would let him do whatever he wanted without any interference. Strange Avenging Tales was apparently an attempt at doing one of these comics at Fantagraphics, … Continue reading FF1997: Steve Ditko’s Strange Avenging Tales
FF1996: Empty Skull Comics
(October 10, 2016)Empty Skull Comics by Gerald Jablonski. Mm, yes… Jim Woodring provides an introduction and offers the idea that Jablonski is possibly insane. The first half of this collection doesn’t seem particularly crazy. The humour is off-kilter, but the silliness is within normal parameters, I would say. This sort of humour is just my thing. You … Continue reading FF1996: Empty Skull Comics
FF1994: Nurture the Devil
(October 9, 2016)Nurture the Devil #1-3 by Jeff Johnson. There seemed to be a micro-movement towards body horror going on at Fantagraphics in the mid-90s. Renée French, Dave Cooper and Jeff Johnson all did violent, visceral, sexually charged comics around this time, with squishy, ink-soaked artwork. Nice introduction, but I really wanted to highlight a typical Fantagraphics … Continue reading FF1994: Nurture the Devil
FF1992: (You and Your) Big Mouth
(October 8, 2016)(You and Your) Big Mouth #1-7 by Pat Moriarity and various. There are several series that feature a single writer and a wide cast of artists (Real Stuff, Duplex Planet Illustrated, American Splendor), but this is one of the very few series that has one single artist, and a wide roster of writers. A comics … Continue reading FF1992: (You and Your) Big Mouth
FF1995: Prick Comix
(October 8, 2016)Prick Comix by Sean Brennan and Tom Giansante. This comic reminds me a bit of those random underground comix that were published in the early 70s. Just goofing around (while high, most likely) without much ambition to do much beyond that. That’s the Dalai Lama fighting against some kidnappers by playing a Kenny G tune. … Continue reading FF1995: Prick Comix
FF1991: Cultural Jet Lag
(October 7, 2016)Cultural Jet Lag #1 by Tom Robert and Jim Siergey. Cultural Jet Lag was apparently a weekly strip, and this might be a collection of some of those strips. However, the format varies wildly, and some of the longer stories don’t really seem like weekly strips, so perhaps it’s a mixture of reprints and new … Continue reading FF1991: Cultural Jet Lag
FF1993: Griffith Observatory
(October 7, 2016)Griffith Observatory by Bill Griffith. Bill Griffith’s most famous creation is Zippy the Pinhead, of course, which is still running today. These days, I mostly read them via Arnold Zwicky’s blog, where he explains all the references. (They can be pretty obscure.) I’ve always enjoyed Zippy, but reading it in collections (which has been my … Continue reading FF1993: Griffith Observatory
FF1994: Life Under Sanctions
(October 6, 2016)Life Under Sanctions, Psychonaut #1-2 by Aleksandar Zograf. These comics were written during (and after) the ex-Yugoslavian wars in the early to mid nineties, and are like despatches that try to explain what’s going on. Jim Woodring provides the introduction, which you might think is an odd choice for a book about war. But Zograf … Continue reading FF1994: Life Under Sanctions
FF1993: Verbatim
(October 6, 2016)Verbatim #1-2 by Carl Belfast. Autobio comics is one of the major genres in art comics now, and it’s difficult to recall just how controversial they were in some circles in the early 90s. This is yet another parody of the genre, and it’s not completely successful, I think. Gaze into his navel… Belfast’s art … Continue reading FF1993: Verbatim
FF1994: Insomnia
(October 5, 2016)Insomnia by Andrew Moran. This is a rather odd tale (an insomniac drives to Ohio to attend a sleep clinic) drawn in a rather original fashion, rather. Hm… slightly early 80s-ish New York scratchy style? Yeah, New Jersey. As you know, here at the Paper Quality Blog, what we’re most concerned about is the paper … Continue reading FF1994: Insomnia
FF1990: Laundryland
(October 5, 2016)Laundryland by Forg & Jeans. A rather mysterious comic book. There’s no introduction, no editorial text: Just the comics themselves. Is this a translated comic? Where are Forg & Jeans from? What’s going on? It’s about a woman who runs a laundry, and her friends. The first issue is very laid back. What happens is … Continue reading FF1990: Laundryland
FF1993: Duplex Planet Illustrated
(October 4, 2016)Duplex Planet Illustrated #1-15, A Vast Knowledge of General Subjects by David Greenberger and various. This is one of those early-90s Fantagraphics comics that I don’t recall all that well, other than I liked it fine at the time. I wasn’t really very enthusiastic about re-reading it, so I wondered whether I had suppressed some … Continue reading FF1993: Duplex Planet Illustrated
FF1993: Black Dogs
(October 3, 2016)Black Dogs by Ho Che Anderson. This book is a short (14-page) introduction to the Martin Luther King, jr. series of graphic novels Ho Che Anderson would publish later. It’s set in the present day, and Anderson kinda explains why it exists: So it’s set in the present, and it discusses whether it’s appropriate to … Continue reading FF1993: Black Dogs
FF1991: Jizz
(October 3, 2016)Jizz #1-10 by Scott Russo. There was an double entendre epidemic going around at the time: Colin Upton’s Big Thing, Roberta Gregory’s Naughty Bits… and Scott Russo’s Jizz, which is, perhaps, only half as entendrey. A single entendre. I didn’t remember much of this series, only that it was outrageous and somewhat controversial, but I … Continue reading FF1991: Jizz
FF1983: Journey
(October 2, 2016)Journey #1-27, Journey: Wardrums #1-2 by William Messner-Loebs. The first fourteen issues of Journey were published by Aardvark-Vanaheim. While this blog series is supposed to be about Fantagraphics, I just had to re-read them all. I was about 14 when Journey started, and I remember being really enthusiastic about it. I’ve re-read the first handfuls … Continue reading FF1983: Journey
FF1992: The Librarian
(October 2, 2016)The Librarian by Penny Moran Van Horn. Is that Steve Jobs? Penny Moran Van Horn had earlier published short pieces in Weirdo and Twisted Sisters, but this was her first (and only, I think) solo publication (except the Recipe for Disaster and Other Stories compilation published later). The story is about a slum lord librarian … Continue reading FF1992: The Librarian
FF1992: Doofer: Pathway to McEarth
(October 1, 2016)Doofer: Pathway to McEarth by Paul Ollswang, Taft Chatham and James Carpenter. This magazine reprints a few of the Ollswang pieces from Graphic Story Monthly and Prime Cuts, the two earliest “general” Fantagraphics anthologies. In addition, there’s a framing story of sorts… … because this magazine was meant as an introduction to a graphic novel … Continue reading FF1992: Doofer: Pathway to McEarth
FF1992: Crucial Fiction
(October 1, 2016)Crucial Fiction by Julian Lawrence and Mark Yuill. Despite the name, I thought that perhaps this was an autobio series, just based on the intensity of the start of the first issue. That certainly looks and reads like a confessional religious outsider autobiographical piece, but since it ends with the protagonist building a new Christ … Continue reading FF1992: Crucial Fiction
FF1992: Butt Biscuit
(September 30, 2016)Butt Biscuit by Dean Williams and Ted Couldron. What a thoroughly unpleasant comic book. The plot is about a kid with Down’s who’s kidnapped by a producer of speciality porn. I guess the idea is to be as offensive as possible, and then it’ll automatically be funny? So it’s a papery version of 4chan. The … Continue reading FF1992: Butt Biscuit
FF1992: Test Dirt
(September 30, 2016)Test Dirt #1 by Tony Fitzgerald. As we get to the 90s, my “collection” of Fantagraphics comics grows spottier. I bought all the major long running comic books at the time, but the less known stuff passed me by: I was a poor student. And had to pay attention to other things. Like getting started … Continue reading FF1992: Test Dirt
FF1987: Frazetta
(September 29, 2016)Thun’da Tales #1 Untamed Love #1 By Frank Frazetta and various. There’s no text in these comics to explain why they exist beyond what’s on the covers: “finally presented in a quality full-color edition!” So my guess is that these are comics from the early 50s that had somehow fallen into the public domain, and … Continue reading FF1987: Frazetta
FF1982: Gil Kane’s Savage!
(September 29, 2016)Gil Kane’s Savage! by Gil Kane and Archie Goodwin. I think this is Fantagraphics’ third comic book, after The Flames of Gyro and Love and Rockets, so it’s historically interesting. It’s a reprint of a magazine published in 1968, and RC Harvey gives some context in an opening essay: He then goes on to talk … Continue reading FF1982: Gil Kane’s Savage!
FF1990: Hate
(September 28, 2016)Hate #1-30, Hate Jamboree, Hate Annual #1-10 by Peter Bagge. Hate is Peter Bagge’s smash success series after winding up Neat Stuff. (Which wasn’t, I guess. A smash success.) It’s also the last of the, er, “institutional indie” comics that Fantagraphics published in the 80s/90s in this blog series, after Love and Rockets, Eightball and … Continue reading FF1990: Hate
FF1990: Lust of the Nazi Weasel Women
(September 27, 2016)Lust of the Nazi Weasel Women #1-4 by Mitch Manzer. Manzer had previously done the very amusing Rory Randall, the Singing Cowboy serial, but Lust of the Nazi Weasel Women is his first (and only, I think) solo series. As with the Rory Randall series, what we have here is a number of really silly … Continue reading FF1990: Lust of the Nazi Weasel Women
FF1990: Kuper
(September 26, 2016)It’s Only a Matter of Life and Death Bleeding Heart #1-5 Wild Life #1-2 By Peter Kuper. Around this time, Fantagraphics published a number of magazine-sized single creator collections of work previously published in various anthologies: Mostly Fantagraphics anthologies like Prime Cuts and Graphic Story Monthly. It’s Only a Matter of Life and Death is … Continue reading FF1990: Kuper
FF1990: Har Har Comics
(September 25, 2016)Har Har Comics #1-2 by Mike Kazaleh. After Captain Jack was cancelled, Fantagraphics gave Kazaleh another go with this very short-lived series: One issue in 1990, and another in 1992. (The indicia in the latter issue lists it as being published “bi-annually”, which I guess is right in some jurisdictions.) The two issues mostly consist … Continue reading FF1990: Har Har Comics
FF1990: Fission Chicken
(September 25, 2016)Fission Chicken #1-4 by JP Morgan and Kyle Rothweiler. Fission Chicken ran in Critters for most of that magazine’s run. I think I mentioned in that blog article that I wasn’t much fond of Fission Chicken when I read it in Critters as a teenager, so I didn’t buy this series when it came out. … Continue reading FF1990: Fission Chicken
FF1989: Grootlore
(September 24, 2016)Grootlore #1-2 Grootlore volume 2 #1-3 By Peter Gullerud. I’ve always known that Kim Thompson was the one of the two Fantagraphics owners who’s into anthropomorphics, but I wasn’t aware that it was so clear-cut: Anything funny-animal (Critters) or European(ish) (Sinner) is edited by Kim Thompson, and anything sci-fi-ish (Threat) or art (Flash Marks) is … Continue reading FF1989: Grootlore
FF1989: Teaser and the Blacksmith
(September 24, 2016)Teaser and the Blacksmith by Timothy H. Glass. This is a very strange comic book by a New Zealander called Timothy H. Glass. I don’t know whether that’s his real name: I could well understand it if whoever created this would want to do so under a pseudonym. It seems to genuinely be from Australia … Continue reading FF1989: Teaser and the Blacksmith
FF1989: Fox Comics
(September 23, 2016)Fox Comics Special Fox Comics #24-27 Edited by David Vodicka. The first twenty-three issues of Fox Comics were published in Australia, but they apparently wanted to get wider distribution by publishing through Fantagraphics. And that worked: Just see, I bought those issues. I’ve been trying to find the Aussie-only issues over the years, and here’s … Continue reading FF1989: Fox Comics
FF1988: Christmas with Superswine
(September 23, 2016)Christmas with Superswine by Gary Fields. This is rather weird. It sounds like a special edition of a running series, but Superswine wasn’t published as its own series until three years later. But perhaps the point was just to publish something seasonal. The indicia says that it was published in February, which sounds typical for … Continue reading FF1988: Christmas with Superswine
FF1988: Flash Marks
(September 22, 2016)Flash Marks by Carel Moiseiwitsch. This is a collection of short pieces that have previously appeared in various anthologies in the 80s. It is, unfortunately, the only major collection of her work, and it isn’t very major. I mean, it’s bigly excellent, as the vernacular goes, but it’s just 32 pages. Magazine size, though. The … Continue reading FF1988: Flash Marks
FF1988: The Tell-Tale Heart and Other Stories
(September 22, 2016)The Tell-Tale Heart and Other Stories by Edgar Allen Poe. From what fetid hell did this magazine arise? It reprints three Edgar Allen Poe stories (that you’ve probably read before), illustrated in this fashion: The borders are repeated throughout each story, so this magazine has three borders, one cover and twelve illustrations (by Daryl and … Continue reading FF1988: The Tell-Tale Heart and Other Stories
FF1987: Jim
(September 21, 2016)Jim #1-4 Jim vol 2 #1-6 Jim Special: Frank’s Real Pa Frank #1-4 By Jim Woodring. Jim (the series, not the author) started off as a collection of material that Jim (the author, not the series) had published in the 1982-86 period. The first four issues are magazine sized… and very strange. The dedication in … Continue reading FF1987: Jim
FF1987: The Wandering Stars
(September 21, 2016)The Wandering Stars #1 by Stuart Hopen and Sam Kieth. Another entry in the “Fantagraphics sci-fi cancelled mysteriously” series, this one lasted only one issue and ends with the words “to be continued…” And it’s a very nice issue indeed. Kieth would later switch to a more decompressed art style, but here he crams a … Continue reading FF1987: The Wandering Stars
FF1987: Dinosaur Rex
(September 20, 2016)Dinosaur Rex #1-3 by Jan Strnad and Henry Mayo. What a fun series. This is another one of the comics from the Upshot imprint, edited by Jan Strnad. The imprint was supposed to be action oriented entertainment, I think. They only managed to publish three series before cancellation (Dalgoda: Flesh and Bones, The Miracle Squad … Continue reading FF1987: Dinosaur Rex
FF1987: Dog Boy
(September 19, 2016)Dog Boy #1-10 by Steve Lafler. Lafler had (self-published, I think?) Dog Boy under the Cat-Head Comics moniker for a few years, but moved to Fantagraphics in 1987, and restarted the numbering. I didn’t read Dog Boy back in the 80s. That is, I had the first issue, and I vaguely remember being vaguely puzzled. … Continue reading FF1987: Dog Boy
FF1986: The Miracle Squad
(September 18, 2016)The Miracle Squad #1-4 by John Wooley and Terry Tidwell. This comic book was part of the Jan Strnad-edited Upshot line of comics, which didn’t last very long. And this was, I think, the only one that Strnad didn’t write himself. It’s in colour, which I guess means that Fantagraphics thought that this 30s B-movie … Continue reading FF1986: The Miracle Squad
FF1988: Itchy Planet
(September 17, 2016)Itchy Planet #1-3 edited by Leonard Rifas. Leonard Rifas published a number of comics in the 70s under the Edu Comics banner, and Itchy Planet continues pretty much in that vein: Informative pieces and political agitation. There’s even a motto. So you have reviews, text pieces and things like this page: A survey of comics … Continue reading FF1988: Itchy Planet
FF2006: Castle Waiting
(September 16, 2016)Castle Waiting #1-18 by Linda Medley I haven’t done this series of postings in anything resembling chronological order, but I did decide to try to do the remaining ones in an orderly… order… But then I flipped past Castle Waiting in the boxes once again, and I just had to re-read it. Again. Castle Waiting … Continue reading FF2006: Castle Waiting
FF1986: Threat!
(September 15, 2016)Threat! #1-10 Anthologies usually do not have a set roster of contributors. There are some, like Zap Comix, but it’s usually a revolving door sort of thing. Threat! was a 32 page, magazine size, monthly anthology with four running serials, each taking up eight (or fewer) pages, and didn’t deviate (much) from that format until … Continue reading FF1986: Threat!
FF1986: Doomsday Squad
(September 14, 2016)Doomsday Squad #1-7 by Joe Gill and John Byrne. This series was supposed to be called “John Byrne Classics” and reprints the old Charlton Comics series Doomsday +1. Apparently Byrne protested and it ended up being called Doomsday Squad instead. He was also apparently supposed to supply the covers, but only did two, while most … Continue reading FF1986: Doomsday Squad
FF1991: Aesop’s Fables
(September 14, 2016)Aesop’s Fables #1-3 adapted by Charles Santino. This series has a slightly odd motivation for its existence: So the project wasn’t started by somebody with a passion for fables, but just somebody looking around for something to adapt. You’d think that this would result in some pretty shoddy comics, but they’re quite amusing. The majority … Continue reading FF1991: Aesop’s Fables
FF1988: Critters Special
(September 13, 2016)Critters Special #1 by Stan Sakai. I should have covered this one in the Critters article, but I forgot. Anyway, the series lasted only one issue, and featured Nilson Groundthumper (and Hermy), characters developed for the Critters series, I think. Sakai would, of course, go on to do Usagi Yojimbo (which he’s still doing), but … Continue reading FF1988: Critters Special
FF1994: Alex
(September 12, 2016)Alex #1-6 by Mark Kalesniko. This is a quite unusual Fantagraphics floppy series: 1) It’s not a single-author anthology, but a proper story that 2) seems to be designed to last for six issues and 3) wasn’t cancelled before it was completed and 4) was published on a strict bi-monthly schedule (which may be a … Continue reading FF1994: Alex
FF1998: The Nimrod
(September 11, 2016)The Nimrod #1-7 by Lewis Trondheim. This series is a collection of various of the more “indie” Trondheim works: Autobio, a McConey story, and several shorter pieces, so I can see why it looked like it might make sense to publish this stuff in English in pamphlet format. It’s like US indie comics, so publishing … Continue reading FF1998: The Nimrod
FF1992: Collier’s
(September 10, 2016)Collier’s #1-4 by David Collier. This series was published in a variety of sizes (two standard comic book, one standard magazine, and one in the middle somewhere) at a glacial pace between 1992 and 1998. I think I remember seeing work from David Collier popping up in various anthologies around that time, but I would … Continue reading FF1992: Collier’s
FF1987: Centrifugal Bumble-Puppy
(September 9, 2016)Centrifugal Bumble-Puppy #1-8 edited by Joe Sacco. Sacco announced in the last issue of the Honk! magazine that it’d be changing its name to Centrifugal Bumble-Puppy, but it did more than that. The page count dropped from 48 to 32, the interviews disappeared and the text features mostly disappeared, and a new roster of regular … Continue reading FF1987: Centrifugal Bumble-Puppy
FF1993: Frederick & Eloise: A Love Story
(September 8, 2016)Frederick & Eloise: A Love Story by Brian Biggs. Here’s another pretty odd one, both in format (slightly wider than high) and content. There’s two panels per page and not too many words, so it’s a very quick read. The plot, as it is, doesn’t really go the way you think it’s going, which is … Continue reading FF1993: Frederick & Eloise: A Love Story
FF1993: Holy Cross
(September 7, 2016)Holy Cross #1-3 written by Malachy Coney. Well, this is an odd series. It’s written by Malachy Coney and drawn by three different people; it’s set in Belfast during the troubles; every issue is of a different size; and it’s three separate but somewhat interconnected stories. Let’s take a look. The first issue, shorter and … Continue reading FF1993: Holy Cross
FF1993: In the Days of the Ace Rock ‘n’ Roll Club
(September 6, 2016)In the Days of the Ace Rock ‘n’ Roll Club by Eddie Campbell. I totally forgot about this one when I did the blog article on the other Fantagraphics Eddie Campbell comics… but since this one is from before the “Alec” period, and I called that article “Alic(ish)”, let’s just say I had this planned … Continue reading FF1993: In the Days of the Ace Rock ‘n’ Roll Club
FF1995: Black Hole
(September 5, 2016)Black Hole #1-12 by Charles Burns. This book is Charles Burns magnum opus on being a teenager, doing drugs and having sex. And, of course, having horrible mutating diseases. He’d been doing work in this area pretty much from the beginning, but only scratching the surface. So to speak. He finally went all out here, … Continue reading FF1995: Black Hole
FF1986: Honk!
(September 4, 2016)Honk #1-5 edited by Tom Mason and then Joe Sacco. Hey! Comics aren’t just about serious stuff any more! Honk! was Fantagraphics’ first humour magazine. It’s a mixture of comics, interviews and features: It sometimes reads a bit like a version of The Comics Journal that somebody has stuck a lot of comics pages in. … Continue reading FF1986: Honk!
FF1993: Brain Capers
(September 3, 2016)Brain Capers #1 by Mario Hernandez. This book mainly collects various comics Hernandez had published in other Fantagraphics books (I think). I recognise pieces from Real Girl and Street Music, at least… The original pieces are pretty light on story, but they’re interesting graphically. Here we seem to be going off in a slightly more … Continue reading FF1993: Brain Capers
FF1992: Cud
(September 2, 2016)Cud #1-8 by Terry Laban. Cud was Terry Laban’s more explicitly underground comics series after the relationship dramedy series Unsupervised Existence. Confusingly enough, the main serial is about a gross performance artist named Bob Cudd, but it’s a different character than the gross performance artist named Bob in Unsupervised Existence. Reuse before recycle. Slight digression … Continue reading FF1992: Cud
Funniest Comic Book of 2016
(September 1, 2016)The funniest comic book of 2016 must be Lisa Hanawalt’s Hot Dog Taste Test. It’s got everything, like thoughtful ideas on time travel… Helpful slogan reinventions… Practical how-to pages on how to do incredible food photography… And then sudden beauty. Not nearly as many hot dogs as you might surmise from the title, though.
FF1989: Eightball
(September 1, 2016)Eightball #1-23 by Daniel Clowes. I was very curious about how re-reading Eightball would feel like. I read Clowes’ latest (very acclaimed) book Patience a few months back, and I thought it was crap. (There. I’ve now statistically alienated about 97% of potential readers of this blog article.) It was so bad that it started … Continue reading FF1989: Eightball
FF1988: Lloyd Llewellyn Special
(August 31, 2016)Lloyd Llewellyn Special #1 by Daniel Clowes. When I did the post on Lloyd Llewellyn earlier, I didn’t know that this special (published about a year after the original series) existed. But it arrived now, so… Let’s… er… discuss. Apparently this special was supposed to be in colour, but due to low demand (from the … Continue reading FF1988: Lloyd Llewellyn Special
FF1989: Unsupervised Existence
(August 30, 2016)Unsupervised Existence #1-7 by Terry Laban. Wow. I used to love this series. What happened? Unsupervised Existence was started as a small-press mini comic, I think? I haven’t read that incarnation, but it was reprinted by Rip Off as Twice-Told Tales of Unsupervised Existence. Fantagraphics then continued the series… The main series in Unsupervised Existence … Continue reading FF1989: Unsupervised Existence
FF1989: Blite
(August 29, 2016)Blite by Phil Elliott. Phil Elliott is part of that British Fast Fiction/Escape generation, but has perhaps had less published in the US than others in that crowd… It’s a collection of shorter stories mostly featuring the “Gimbley” character. I think you could describe them as having a sort dream logic, but what strikes me … Continue reading FF1989: Blite
FF1987: Myron Moose Funnies
(August 28, 2016)Myron Moose Funnies by Bob Foster. This reads very much like 70s underground comix, which is pretty strange for published in 1987. And there is a series from 1971 with the same name. Is it a reprint? I’ve spent four minutes googling and I do not know. Anyway, it was apparently planned as a three … Continue reading FF1987: Myron Moose Funnies
FF1990: Alec(ish)
(August 27, 2016)The Dead Muse Little Italy The Cheque, Mate By Eddie Campbell and various. These three comics were published in a transitional phase of Eddie Campbell’s career. He’d published an acclaimed series of autobiographical stories under the collective name “Alec”, mostly in British anthologies and collections, but also in a series of collections. He’d tried to … Continue reading FF1990: Alec(ish)
FF1988: Bad News
(August 26, 2016)Bad News #3 edited by Paul Karasik. The Bad News anthology series was conceived as a class exercise for the students at the School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York. This first issue was edited by Art Spiegelman (I think; I haven’t been able to locate a copy or find any reliable info on … Continue reading FF1988: Bad News
FF1989: Neil & Buzz in Space and Time
(August 25, 2016)OK, drama over? (Or at least a plan of sorts.) So back to the series of posts that can’t possibly interest more than approx. five people in the world: An overview of all Fantagraphics comic book comics ever published. Neil & Buzz in Space and Time by George Alec Effinger & Henry Mayo. In the … Continue reading FF1989: Neil & Buzz in Space and Time
FF1991: Big Thing
(July 26, 2016)Big Thing #1-4 by Colin Upton. This series is probably called Colin Upton’s Other Big Thing (Upton had self-published more that 60 mini-comics by this time, and one larger one, which was called Big Thing, so this name makes sense), and then Colin Upton’s Other Slightly Smaller Big Thing (when it went to a smaller … Continue reading FF1991: Big Thing
FF1994: Bad Comics
(July 25, 2016)Bad Comics #1 by JR Williams. A previous #1 had been published a few years earlier by Cat-Head Comics, and if I remember correctly, it was much like this one: A random collection of funny comics by JR Williams. Like Sam Henderson, he’s someone who seems to know the mechanics of telling a joke well, … Continue reading FF1994: Bad Comics
FF1990: Graphic Story Monthly
(July 24, 2016)Graphic Story Monthly #1-7 edited by Gary Groth. Graphic Story Monthly was Fantagraphics’ second attempt at a “general” comics anthology, following hot on the heels of Prime Cuts. In some ways, it’s just a continuation of that series under a new name. Many of the same contributors and features continue on from the first series, … Continue reading FF1990: Graphic Story Monthly
FF1979: The Flames of Gyro
(July 23, 2016)The Flames of Gyro by Jay Disbrow. I don’t have a complete set of all floppies Fantagraphics have ever published, so while writing this series I’ve started to buy the stuff I’m missing. This is one of them. The Flames of Gyro (featuring Valgar Gunnar) is the first comic book that Fantagraphics published, and it’s… … Continue reading FF1979: The Flames of Gyro
FF1995: Girltalk
(July 22, 2016)Girltalk #1-4 The cover of the first issue says “1st full issue”, but that’s because a sort of “preview” issue was included with issue seven of Real Girl. No editor is listed, but Isabella Bannerman and Sabrina Jones seem to be the central people here, perhaps. This anthology sprang out of the venerable World War … Continue reading FF1995: Girltalk
2d cloud
(July 19, 2016)2d cloud is a publisher from Minneapolis who’s been publishing a lot of interesting comics and comics-adjacent stuff the past few years. Their financing strategy seems to be to do pre-sales via Kickstarter for each “collection”. Nothing much is being… kickstartered… but you send them some money and they send you all these neat comics … Continue reading 2d cloud
FF1991: Tales from the Outer Boroughs
(July 18, 2016)Tales from the Outer Boroughs #1-5 by Douglas Michael. This is a pretty odd series, even as odd series go. I guess I can see the inspiration here from people like Rick Geary, Ben Katchor and Chris Reynolds, but the artwork isn’t as distinctive as any of those, really. He does have the oblique weirdness … Continue reading FF1991: Tales from the Outer Boroughs
FF1991: Naughty Bits
(July 14, 2016)Naughty Bits #1-40 by Roberta Gregory. I’d been a fan of Roberta Gregory since way before Naughty Bits started in 1991. I’d gotten a hand on Dynamite Damsels when I was, like, 14, and I really loved her somewhat gentle style and pretty whimsical subject matter (like in Winging It). Unicorns and aliens and mysteries … Continue reading FF1991: Naughty Bits
FF1985: Neat Stuff
(July 7, 2016)Neat Stuff #1-15 by Peter Bagge. I don’t quite recall how I felt about Peter Bagge’s comics when I was a teenager. I certainly wasn’t obsessing about it like I was with, say, Chester Brown or Moebius. That the first issue of Neat Stuff that I have is a third printing from the mid-90s is … Continue reading FF1985: Neat Stuff
FF1990: Pedestrian Vulgarity
(July 4, 2016)Pedestrian Vulgarity #1 by Dennis Worden. Another one of those one-off magazines that Fantagraphics published at random during the late 80s and early 90s. This time it’s a collection of mostly one-page funny strips by Dennis Worden, who is best known for doing Stickboy for quite a while. There’s only one page of stick persons … Continue reading FF1990: Pedestrian Vulgarity
FF1988: Street Music
(July 3, 2016)Street Music #1-6 edited by Mark Burbey. Street Music is a somewhat unusual anthology. It’s mainly the vehicle for the “Street Music” serial, which takes up something between a third and a half of each issue, and which is written by the editor, Mark Burbey, and drawn by Bili Turner. Neither of them could be … Continue reading FF1988: Street Music
FF1990: Kaktus Valley
(July 2, 2016)Kaktus Valley #1 edited by John Carlin and Gary Panter. This is another one of those one-off magazines Fantagraphics used to publish that seemed to arrive without any context. Reading it, it seems like the idea is to gather a lot of people from the more punkey end of the Raw generation together and have … Continue reading FF1990: Kaktus Valley
FF1990: Real Girl
(June 30, 2016)Real Girl #1-9 edited by Angela Bocage. I had forgotten how many anthologies Fantagraphics used to publish. Anthologies are still a thing, but I don’t think there’s much being published in something resembling this format: An editor who wants to explore a specific theme, and then invites contributors to participate. (Perhaps Island by Brandon Graham … Continue reading FF1990: Real Girl
FF1986: Lloyd Llewellyn
(June 29, 2016)Lloyd Llewellyn #1-6 by Daniel Clowes. Daniel Clowes is one of the most celebrated comics artists working today, but back in 1986 (when he was 25), he created his first comic book series: Lloyd Llewellyn. To say that it was an overwhelming success would probably to be overwhelmingly generous. Before doing this series, he had … Continue reading FF1986: Lloyd Llewellyn
FF1995: Filibusting Comics
(June 26, 2016)Filibusting Comics #1 by Dylan Sisson. This book is a parody of Scott McCloud’s seminal “Understanding Comics” book. I mean, that’s a pretty sticky book. McCloud’s career is an unusual one. He made a fondly remembered book back in the 80s, Zot, that wasn’t a major commercial success. It was sweet and fun, but not … Continue reading FF1995: Filibusting Comics
FF1984: Dalgoda
(June 24, 2016)Dalgoda #1-8 Flesh & Bones #1-4 By Jan Strnad and Dennis Fujitake. I think this may be Fantagraphic’s first colour comic book. They’d released a couple of albums (“graphic novels”) in colour, but every comic book comic was in black and white. According to the editorial by Gary Groth, it was something of a financial … Continue reading FF1984: Dalgoda
FF1990: Real Life
(June 23, 2016)Real Life #1 by Mark Zingarelli. Autobiographical comics are often written by shy introverts (or so the cliché goes), but there’s also a tradition of manly men making the stuff (perhaps beginning with Spain). The most prolific manly man in the field is the writer Dennis Eichhorn. He just writes the stuff and gets a … Continue reading FF1990: Real Life
FF1987: Good Girls
(June 22, 2016)Good Girls #1-6 by Carol Lay. There are two serials in Good Girls. The first one is about a journalist who handles the “lonely hearts” column and gets into wacky adventures, as with these slightly oedipal superhero enthusiasts. The second feature is a romance parody about a billionaire who’s been brought up in Africa and … Continue reading FF1987: Good Girls
FF1986: Critters
(June 21, 2016)Critters #1-50 edited by Kim Thompson. Ah, funny animals… It’s such a strange genre, if that’s the name for it. Perhaps “stylistic convention” is better. You have anthropomorphic characters in basically any genre (humour, science fiction, mysteries, anything), and there are fans that are really into reading stories in all these genres as long as … Continue reading FF1986: Critters
FF1987: Prime Cuts
(June 12, 2016)Prime Cuts #1-10 edited by Gary Groth. There are some storied American comics anthologies: Arcade, Raw, Weirdo… (Well, and the ones that started popping up since the turn of the century.) Prime Cuts isn’t one that you hear mentioned much these days. It was (I think) Fantagraphics’ first major “serious” anthology. They had already published … Continue reading FF1987: Prime Cuts
FF1994: The Biologic Show
(June 11, 2016)The Biologic show #0-1 by Al Columbia. This is a pretty odd… series. The first issue (#0) is magazine sized and is mostly shorter pieces. The second issue (#1) is announced as being quarterly, and then there are no more issues. Anyway, I assume everybody knows Columbia’s story (Bill Sienkiewicz’s assistant on Alan Moore’s Big … Continue reading FF1994: The Biologic Show
FF1986: Captain Jack
(June 9, 2016)The Adventures of Captain Jack #1-12 A*K*Q*J #1 By Mike Kazaleh. Back in the 80s, Fantagraphics published a number of funny animal titles. This one is one of the funnier funny animal titles. Kazaleh’s day job is as a storyboarder for animated films. It’s kinda obvious looking at some of the scenes, but it’s not … Continue reading FF1986: Captain Jack
FF1989: The Adventures of Mr. Pyridine
(June 8, 2016)The Adventures of Mr. Pyridine #1 by M. Singh Fantagraphics published a large number of what you might perhaps call “aspirational series”. That is, they aspired to be series, but I think everybody involved could guess that there would most likely be no more than one issue. Perhaps I should gather a few up in … Continue reading FF1989: The Adventures of Mr. Pyridine
FF1986: Keif Llama
(June 6, 2016)Particle Dreams #1-6 Keif Llama: Xenotech #1-6 By Matt Howarth. Matt Howarth is best known for his The Annoying Post Bros series. The protagonists there run around different universes killing people and having fun. I never quite warmed up to that concept, although I’ve probably read most of the issues by now. These comics, on … Continue reading FF1986: Keif Llama
FF1987: Sinner
(June 5, 2016)Sinner #1-5 by José Muñoz and Carlos Sampayo. After the previous post which literally killed me, I (in a ghostly incarnation) decided to do a very small series today. Sinner is one of the earliest attempts by Fantagraphics at bringing French-ey comics to the US. (The creators are Argentinian, but live in Europe and publishes … Continue reading FF1987: Sinner
FF1982: Love and Rockets
(June 1, 2016)Created by Jaime Hernandez, Beto Hernandez and Mario Hernandez. Love and Rockets #1-50, Mechanics #1-3, Love and Rockets Bonanza , Whoa, Nellie #1-3, New Love #1-6, Maggie and Hopey Color Special, Penny Century #1-7, Luba #1-10, Luba’s Comics and Stories #1-8, Love and Rockets vol II #1-20, Love and Rockets: New stories #1-8, New Tales … Continue reading FF1982: Love and Rockets
Reading Fantagraphics
(June 1, 2016)I’ve been meaning to re-read all of Love and Rockets for years and years. But I’ve never found the time, because all my comics reading time has been occupied by reading new comics. *sniff* I’ve paused my avaracious comics acquisition onslaught slightly and rooted out all the Love and Rockets issues. But doing so, I … Continue reading Reading Fantagraphics
An Image From A Superhero Comic Posted Without Comment
(May 11, 2016)Comics in Melbourne
(March 20, 2016)While visiting Australia in February, I took a little trip to Melbourne and visited the All Star Comics store. It’s mainly a super hero store, but they had this one huge wall filled with local(ish) comics. Next to the door, even. So I bought a stack, and now I read them all. Here’s a few … Continue reading Comics in Melbourne
Storage Cubed
(January 9, 2016)I wanted more storage for comics, but I just couldn’t find anything that really fit the only vacant wall space I had in the office. So I bought 21 of these small Ikea bookshelf box things. In November. And today I finally completed the project by making one of the boxes into a computer… cabinet… … Continue reading Storage Cubed
NBM: What’s Up With Them?
(January 4, 2016)My interest in reading comics really took off last year after many years of taking a back seat to, well, everything else. So I’ve been trolling the web for things I’ve missed. And then I happened upon the NBM web site. NBM has been around since the 70s, and I’ve bought oodles of stuff from … Continue reading NBM: What’s Up With Them?
The Best Comics Of The Rest Of 2015
(December 15, 2015)I started chronicling particularly interesting comics this summer, so I might as well continue? Sure. Once again, the shelf of comics that makes me go “hmmm” and “that’s pretty good” is full. Let’s start with the new stuff. (I’m not going to, er, give an in-depth critique about anything here. Just jut down some short … Continue reading The Best Comics Of The Rest Of 2015
Going Underground
(November 29, 2015)I’ve long been curious about whether there’s a large treasure trove of lost underground comix from the 70s. All the major artists are reprinted all the time, of course: R. Crumb, Spain, Gilbert Sheldon, Aline Kominsky, etc. But what about the rest? Underground comix was a big thing for a while… The other week I … Continue reading Going Underground
A Simpler Previews Interface
(October 22, 2015)tldr: New web site: Goshenite. I’ve been reading American comics since the 80s. To put that into perspective for you youngsters: That was before Snapchat even existed. Think about that for a moment. Anyway, back in those days, Mile High Comics sent out a condensed list of everything all the comics distributors would be selling … Continue reading A Simpler Previews Interface
Mini Comics Extravaganza
(October 11, 2015)I’ve been going on a small press shopping spree these past weeks. So are the comics any good? Yes! I have a tendency to read the smaller comics first. Here’s some of the ones I found to be particularly interesting from among the stacks I’ve gotten so far: Runner Runner (Tugboat Press) The first story … Continue reading Mini Comics Extravaganza
Comix Berlin
(October 3, 2015)I visited Berlin recently, and as always, I tried to find some comic book stores with interesting comics. Which is always a problem. But after binging for several minutes, I visited Modern Graphics. It’s a warren of a store with crowded shelves and connected rooms, but it has a large selection of comics created by … Continue reading Comix Berlin
This Is Not A Paid Advertisement
(September 17, 2015)I’ve been buying comics from the US for decades and decades, but last year (I think it was), the postage rates (especially the international ones) went way, way up. (Thanks, Obama.) Before the change, I could order (say) a $10 comic and pay, like, $2-3 in postage. This went up to (typically) $8-10. That’s no … Continue reading This Is Not A Paid Advertisement
The Best Comics of 2015 (so far)
(August 23, 2015)I’ve read a huge number of comics this year, and mostly old stuff. But I’m also keeping up with newer comics, and whenever one of them strikes me as particularly interesting, it ends up in this little bookshelf instead of disappearing into the larger bookshelves. If it’s not a floppy pamphlet. Or too big. So … Continue reading The Best Comics of 2015 (so far)
BD80: Annie Goetzinger & Pierre Christin
(July 1, 2015)La Demoiselle de la Legion d’Honneur by Annie Goetzinger & Pierre Christin (1980) Annie Goetzinger and Pierre Christin have created a long list of works together, and this is the first one, published in 1980. It’s the story of a woman who drifts aimlessly through her life, controlled by various men (and their families). It’s … Continue reading BD80: Annie Goetzinger & Pierre Christin
BD80
(June 28, 2015)I grew up way up north in Norway. I was really into comic books. I liked American comic books just fine (both superheroes and stuff like Love & Rockets and Cerebus), but I loved arty French(ey) “albums” the most. When I was about 14 (in 1982), more complex comics started being translated into Scandinavian languages. … Continue reading BD80
Scott McCloud’s The Sculptor: A Reappraisal
(June 10, 2015)The Sculptor is the long-awaited graphic novel (published by First Second) that has been reviewed a lot. It’s a spellbinding urban fable about a childhood wish, a deal with Death, the price of art, the value of life, and a desperate love. It says so right there. But it’s been months since it’s been published … Continue reading Scott McCloud’s The Sculptor: A Reappraisal
Corto Maltese: Under the Sign of Capricorn
(April 20, 2015)IDW announced last year that they were going to translate and publish a complete set of Hugo Pratt’s Corto Maltese (in English translation). There was much rejoicing across the land. I haven’t read those comics for decades, since they were stuck at my parent’s house up in the North, so I thought “what they hey” … Continue reading Corto Maltese: Under the Sign of Capricorn
Australian Comics
(February 6, 2015)Whenever in a new city where I can read the language, I try to visit interesting comics shops. This can be rather difficult, since what’s interesting to me isn’t really what comics shops make a living off of. I’m looking for stuff I can’t get anywhere else, which means small press and local books, and … Continue reading Australian Comics
Art Comic Book Store Finder Wanted
(March 12, 2014)I’ve been travelling a fair bit the last couple of months. One of my favourite things to do in furrin cities is to visit comic book stores. However, finding the interesting stores isn’t trivial. If you’re reading the comics blogs religiously, and you travel to the conventions, and you know a lot of other people … Continue reading Art Comic Book Store Finder Wanted
Last of the Mohicans, or: Diminishing Returns
(January 14, 2014)I bought a lot of stuff from the PictureBox sale. I kind of thought that I had most of their stuff already, but I ended up with like eight kilos of excellent comics. Then there’s Last of the Mohicans by Shigeru Sugiura, edited by Ryan Holmberg. As always, I just skipped past the introduction and … Continue reading Last of the Mohicans, or: Diminishing Returns
Funniest Comic Book of 2013
(January 4, 2014)The funniest comic book of 2013 must be Lisa Hanawalt’s My Dirty Dumb Eyes. It covers all of life, like movies: Fashion: Movie reviews. She points of that the sign language in the latest Planet Of The Apes looks oddly obscene: Actually, this is a test post to see how WordPress works. I’ve moved … Continue reading Funniest Comic Book of 2013
The Eyes Have It
(July 5, 2013)I was looking at the “acknowledgement” page of Big Feminist But (because I thought my name would be there, since I participated in the Kickstarter). I looked for like three seconds, and I found my name: Which just seems either 1) extremely lucky or 2) I’ve trained my eyes to pick out my name, fast, … Continue reading The Eyes Have It
Fluttering Back To The 20s
(June 29, 2013)I’ve been running Youtube clips sourced from whatever is playing on the stereo as the background to my hallway weather monitor for quite some time now, and I kinda like it. Except when having guests over being slightly er puzzled about what’s running on the screen when the band Sex Worker is playing, for instance. … Continue reading Fluttering Back To The 20s
Why Does First Second Suck?
(February 25, 2013)So badly? Welcome to my new comics reviewing blog. For years I’ve wondered why the everything First Second publishes sucks. Or it’s by a really good artist, it doesn’t quite suck, but it’s definitely the worst work that that artist has done in his or her life. When First Second was new and shiny, I … Continue reading Why Does First Second Suck?
Oldey Timey Mickey
(November 28, 2011)I don’t think he eats worms any more.