Recommended Online Comics Resources -- If you're a regular reader here, this may all be old hat to you, but I've posted a guide to the best online comics resources at iTaggit.

Labels: meta, recommendations

// posted by Alan David Doane @ 1:46 PM [LINK TO THIS] | 0 COMMENTS | E-MAIL ADD | SUBSCRIBE

 
Outrageous Book of the Week -- I want to bring your attention to this week's release of Most Outrageous: The Trials and Trespasses of Dwaine Tinsley and Chester the Molester, new in softcover by Bob Levin and published by Fantagraphics Books.

Levin is one of the most gifted writers about comics ever, and one of the previous books remains one of my most cherished volumes about the subject. I can't tell you how often I pluck this off the shelf and read an essay or two. It gets me excited about writing and excited about comics every time I crack it open.

Much more information at the Fantagraphics website.

Labels: recommendations

// posted by Alan David Doane @ 7:20 PM [LINK TO THIS] | 0 COMMENTS | E-MAIL ADD | SUBSCRIBE

 
Order BLUESMAN Now! -- The BLUESMAN graphic novel is now available for preorder at your local comic book store.

Here are the details you need to have to make sure your retailer can get you a copy:

Bluesman Collected Edition HC
Diamond Order Code: APR084026
ISBN 1561635324
220 pgs, B&W, HC, 6x9

BLUESMAN is the creation of Rob Vollmar and Pablo G. Callejo, whose first graphic novel was The Castaways. BLUESMAN was serialized in three volumes and was an amazing read, with both Rob and Pablo showing great growth over The Castaways, which was pretty terrific to begin with. But they really blew the doors off with BLUESMAN, and this hardcover is bound to be a beautiful collection of one of my favourite comics of the past decade.

More details at The BLUESMAN Project, which was overhauled a bit over the weekend to reflect the pending hardcover release. Please take a look and make sure you let your retailer know you want BLUESMAN.

Labels: recommendations

// posted by Alan David Doane @ 6:47 AM [LINK TO THIS] | 0 COMMENTS | E-MAIL ADD | SUBSCRIBE

 
The Best Current Comics -- This thread at The V has me thinking of what current comics I am enjoying the most at the moment. This is actually a tough one of me, now that I am out of the habit of weekly comic shop visits but not quite in the category of "waiting for the trade." But here's my list:

Punisher MAX
All-Star Superman
Love and Rockets
Scott Pilgrim
D&Q's Yoshihiro Tatsumi reprint series
Criminal
Anything Frank Santoro touches (Cold Heat, Storeyville, Incanto)
Godland

Not many regular titles are grabbing me these days; I was loving Conan under Busiek and Nord but not so much now they're gone. I want to love everything Ed Brubaker touches, but Captain America's art is a total turnoff to me, and Daredevil hasn't really excited me as a character since the end of Born Again.

I've ordered Steven Grant's Two Guns in trade, but some of the issues were sold out so I was unable to read it in singles once I heard it existed. Tom Spurgeon is quite right today when he notes that a lot of publishers aren't getting enough word out about their books.

I am still getting Morrison's Batman, but I haven't liked an issue since the JH Williams trilogy of issues. Since it's Morrison, I am holding on in hopes it will come together again, a privilege I reserve pretty solely for Moore and Morrison.

Labels: recommendations

// posted by Alan David Doane @ 1:53 PM [LINK TO THIS] | 8 COMMENTS | E-MAIL ADD | SUBSCRIBE

 
The Comics Journal #288 -- Just want to say I am thrilled as hell that The Comics Journal #288 is on its way to stores and subscribers. This is the first issue in the new "literary journal" format, and although I have not seen it, I am eager to devour its goodness, as I have been every issue since I bought my first one somewhere around 1979. Dirk has a link to the usual online previews and excerpts in the link above.

Labels: recommendations

// posted by Alan David Doane @ 4:10 AM [LINK TO THIS] | 0 COMMENTS | E-MAIL ADD | SUBSCRIBE

 
Essential Blogwriting Tips -- Write to Done hosts 12 Essential Blogwriting Tips by the author of Zen Habits, one of my favourite blogs.

I don't often link to posts like this, but these 12 tips are all pure gold, if you're a beginning blogger or thinking of becoming one, you should give it a look.

Labels: recommendations

// posted by Alan David Doane @ 6:53 AM [LINK TO THIS] | 0 COMMENTS | E-MAIL ADD | SUBSCRIBE

 

10 Things I Love About The New Mome -- The tenth volume of the Fantagraphics comics anthology Mome is in my hands, and to celebrate its tenth volume, here are ten things I loved about it:

10. Dash Shaw's mind-fucking backward/forward robot war tragicomedy "Look Forward, First Son of Terra Two." FANTASTIC.

9. The textures in the Jim Woodring piece; the story (continued from Vol. 9) is up to the usual Woodring standard of psychedelic excellence, but the textures on display in the neighbourhood scenes are astonishing.

8. The final panel in the Woodring story: study it carefully. How long have these kids been weeping, and what are they mourning? A lost world of wonder? Their own ability to function in a universe they no longer understand?

7. Tom Kaczynski's interview, conducted by Gary Groth. Groth is one of my personal heroes, whatever his perceived flaws, and no one can doubt his ability to paint fascinating portraits of the people he interviews, virtually every time out. Kaczynski is no exception -- his life story is interesting stuff, and his inclusion in Mome has improved it measurably.

6. No surprise, then, that his story in this volume is one of the highlights. He takes the Clowes/Tomine ball that he references in the Groth interview, and he runs off in unexpected directions with it.

5. Kaczynski's portrait of The Lizard bursting out of Spider-Man's costume is worth noting all on its own.

4. Ten volumes in, and no price increase.

3. The Sophie Crumb full-page portrait right at the front of the issue. I am finding her strips a little out of place in Mome and I wish we'd see more of her solo series Belly Button Comix, but this is a nice piece of art and a stretch from her usual Mome offerings.

2. John Hankiewicz's "Success Comes to Westmont, IL" is a change of pace for the cartoonist, a little more direct than his usual fare, but also using stylistic change-ups to add depth and nuance to the narrator's bitter complaint.

1. Al Columbia's cover -- there are cat people and dog people, and I am a cat people. The front and back covers are both cat portraits by Al Columbia, and both are extraordinary and chilling in very different ways. I think the thing I love the most is the phantom claw just barely visible on the right side of the image; is Columbia showing us a bit of his process, or suggesting the speed with which cats move, or both? Also of note: This is the first original cover the series has featured, instead of a blown-up image from the interior. I liked that idea, but I love Columbia's cover more.

Labels: art, recommendations, reviews

// posted by Alan David Doane @ 9:44 AM [LINK TO THIS] | 6 COMMENTS | E-MAIL ADD | SUBSCRIBE

 

Palestine: The Special Edition -- Joe Sacco's particular brand of comics journalism has been one of the highlights of the artcomix revolution that has occurred over the past decade or so. In the 1970s and '80s, no one would have known what the hell to do with works like Safe Area Gorazde or The Fixer, but now that non-fiction comics are more widely read and talked about in the mainstream press, Sacco has been able to carve out a nice little niche that perfectly suits both his talents and his obsessive curiosity about why and how the awful things happen that happen in this world.

Palestine was one of the first works of Sacco's that I read, and certainly it made Sacco's reputation as a contrarian journalist of the first order, unwilling to swallow whole any government propaganda, and damned determined to get to the bottom of whatever story he was investigating, even if it put him in harm's way.

Fantagraphics Books has now released a deluxe version of Palestine that better presents the work in contexts both historical and artistic. Lengthy, generously-illustrated text pieces lead off the new hardcover edition, with Sacco providing first-person commentary on his experiences in the Middle East and how he translated them into comics form. He admits to the book's minor flaws (chiefly, that the pamphlet format the work was originally serialized in leaves for a somewhat choppy graphic novel reading experience) while giving genuine insight into the artistic choices he made in presenting the story as he experienced it, and I was interested to see how most of the visual decisions Sacco made were chosen to better present as objective a journalistic view as possible. As horrific as, say, a man being beaten and suffering a broken arm in the attack is, Sacco makes a convincing case that it's even more chilling when presented with as little visual melodrama as possible. Less is more, so much more so in the case of non-fiction on as serious and important a topic as the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.

Sacco's work to reveal the truth about what is happening between the Israelis and the Palestinians remains as powerful and timely now as it was when originally published, and it deserves to be seen and experienced in this new, prestigious edition. Whether you're a longtime Sacco follower or just curious about what it is that he does that makes him so noteworthy among his fellow cartoonists, Palestine: The Special Edition is absolutely indispensable.

Labels: recommendations

// posted by Alan David Doane @ 2:21 PM [LINK TO THIS] | 0 COMMENTS | E-MAIL ADD | SUBSCRIBE

 
Doctor Who: Time Crash -- The annual charity broadcast of Doctor Who is eight minutes of pure joy for me. It's been a day or two since it aired, and if you're somewhat net-savvy, it's pretty widely available at this point.

I won't spoil a thing for you, other than to say that David Tennant's Doctor makes a speech right at the end that perfectly sums up my feelings about the guy he's talking to (and about), and this little short episode pretty much made my entire weekend. Seek it out if you're at all a fan of the series.

Labels: recommendations, tv

// posted by Alan David Doane @ 4:44 AM [LINK TO THIS] | 0 COMMENTS | E-MAIL ADD | SUBSCRIBE

 
Canary in a Coalmine -- The news that Love and Rockets is moving to an annual graphic novel format is more interesting than surprising.

What will be surprising and interesting, is when and if DC and Marvel make the same canny, forward-looking and industry-redefining move.

They should have done this already with titles like The Punisher and Fables, of course.

I wonder which titles and companies will follow suit next?

Me, I'm up for any Love and Rockets in any format I can get it in. Speaking of which, the two new phonebook collections are out from Fantagraphics, Vol. 3 in each series, collecting hundreds and hundreds of pages of some of the very best comics ever. Buy them already, if you haven't yet.

Labels: industry, recommendations

// posted by Alan David Doane @ 6:49 AM [LINK TO THIS] | 0 COMMENTS | E-MAIL ADD | SUBSCRIBE

 
Alan Moore's Yuggoth Cultures and Other Growths TPB -- I got my contributor's copies of this new Avatar Press release yesterday, and damn, is it an impressive package.

It's about twice the size it was originally solicited at, and in addition to collecting the Alan Moore miniseries, it also has stories by Antony Johnston also working in the Lovecraft-inspired vein that Moore tapped for the series. There's an impressive roster of artists including Juan Jose Ryp, Oscar Zarata (on a From Hell tie-in story that is must reading for fans of that series) and my personal favourite, Jacen Burrows.

Of interest to Comic Book Galaxy readers, the volume contains a number of text features, including the complete text of my 2004 interview with Alan Moore that was originally broadcast (in greatly edited form) on NPR affiliate WAMC in Albany, New York. I've never had a better time interviewing anyone in my life than the time I spent talking to Moore, and he touches on a great many topics, from his interest in magic and mysticism to the legal entanglements of Marvelman/Miracleman, and most fascinating to me, we talk about how Moore kicked off the transformation of superhero comics in the 1980s, a subject he has very mixed feelings about. Re-reading the interview last night, I was delighted to remember springing my theory on him about the precise moment (in an issue of Swamp Thing) that Moore unintentionally inaugurated the grim 'n gritty era in a fantastic scene that still gives me chills every time I read it, but which was the unwitting inspiration for a thousand less gifted creators to mishandle other creative properties for decades afterward.

But my interview is just a dozen or so pages in a mammoth slab of great comics and other features, and I hope you'll consider adding it to your bookshelf. I'm thrilled to finally have it on mine. Also having read the fantastic new League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The Black Dossier yesterday, it was a great day in my house to be an Alan Moore reader. Either or both would make great holiday gifts for someone you know who loves great comics created with unbounded enthusiasm for the artform.

Labels: recommendations

// posted by Alan David Doane @ 5:08 AM [LINK TO THIS] | 0 COMMENTS | E-MAIL ADD | SUBSCRIBE

 
ADD's 2007 Year in Review -- Let's look back at a great year for comics. First up:

THE BEST of 2007

* Crecy, Warren Ellis and Raulo Caceres (Avatar) -- This one took me by surprise, and ended up being by far one of my favourite comics of the year. The way Ellis uses the lead character's narration is pretty unique in comics, and adds a layer of comedy and depth to the true story of a crucial historical battle. This is one you have to experience to really appreciate how accomplished it is. [Full Crecy review].

* Criminal, Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Marvel/Icon) -- Although I didn't review any single issues of this in calendar 2007, it was still my favourite monthly read and a more entertaining and well-crafted title than any other five comics you could name from either Marvel or DC. The second story arc, "Lawless," just wrapped up, and it was one of Brubaker's best pieces of character work ever, with Phillips contributing his usual amazing artwork -- he's the very best artist currently creating monthly comics, no question. [Criminal #1 review].

* Marvel Zombies: Dead Days and Marvel Zombies 2, Robert Kirkman and Sean Phillips (Marvel) -- Nothing captures the real spirit of Marvel's heyday better than this perverse reimagining of their core characters, which has become a franchise unto itself. Stick with the books by Kirkman and Phillips, and know you're in for a grand time. [Marvel Zombies 2 #1 review].

* I Shall Destroy All The Civilized Planets, Fletcher Hanks (Fantagraphics Books) -- Junky and presumed-forgotten comics by one of the artform's weirdest minds were recontextualized by Fantagraphics and editor Paul Karasik into one of the must-read collections of the year. You may never look at superheroes the same way again, and never have as much fun reading them. [I Shall Destroy All The Civilized Planets review].

* A Treasury of Victorian Murder: Saga of the Bloody Benders, Rick Geary (NBM/ComicsLit) -- This was one of the finest and most fun original graphic novels of the year. You don't hear much about Geary on the comics news sites, but he quietly has become one of the most unique and dependable storytellers in the entire medium. [Bloody Benders review].

* Please Release, Nate Powell (Top Shelf) -- If there's a more thoughtful and interesting artcomix practitioner than Nate Powell, I don't know who it would be. He's someone you'll be hearing a lot more about in the years ahead, and the stories in this collection are a good indicator why. [Please Release review].

* Amazing Spider-Man Omnibus, Stan Lee and Steve Ditko (Marvel) -- I didn't review this, but I don't think there was a better value for your superhero dollar than this 99.9 percent perfect collection of possibly the greatest superhero comics of all time. The misspelling of Steve Ditko's name on the last page is the only flaw I could detect, but Jesus, what a flaw to have in an otherwise exquisite presentation of these essential comics.

* All-Star Superman, Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely (DC) -- The most fun I've had since, well, any other Morrison and Quitely project you could name. One of the greatest, most entertaining teams working in corporate comics.

* Shortcomings, Adrian Tomine (Drawn & Quarterly) -- Any other creator delivering a novel this dense and entertaining would probably be hailed in every corner of the blogosphere, but the excellence of Shortcomings is by now expected, and therefore possibly not as thrill-generating. But rest assured, this exploration of race and relationships is Tomine stretching, even if just a little bit, and that makes it more than worth your attention. [Optic Nerve #9 (Shortcomings Chapter 1) review].

* The Complete Peanuts, Charles Schulz (Fantagraphics) -- This series is well into the most glorious era of the best comic strip ever, and you should definitely be reading along to see how the magic happened, day after day, for half a century. I recently reviewed David Michaelis's Schulz biography, Schulz and Peanuts, as well.

* Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, Joss Whedon and Georges Jeanty (Dark Horse) -- I don't know if this title will bring any new readers to comics, but if you were ever a fan of Whedon's TV work, this is the most note-perfect adaptation/continuation you could possibly have asked for. Even writer Brian K. Vaughan's arc is keeping me entertained, and that's quite an accomplishment considering his stuff usually not only leaves me cold, but makes me throw up a little in my mouth.

* Spent, Joe Matt (Drawn and Quarterly) -- I suppose this is the sort of story anti-artcomix folks are talking about when they damn all artcomix with the "navel-gazey/autobio/masturbation" accusation. Fuck them, I love Matt's stuff. [Peepshow #13 (Spent Chapter 1) review].

* The Boys, Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson (Dynamite) -- Anyone who dismisses The Boys as mere foul-mouthed satire is missing one of the wildest and best superhero rides around. The book just gets better with every passing issue. [The Boys #8 review].

* Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together and League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The Black Dossier, Bryan Lee O'Malley (Oni), and Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill (DC/Wildstorm) -- All right, I haven't read these yet because they come out today. I admit it. But by this time tomorrow I will have likely read both, and based on previous volumes in both series, I have no doubt they belong on this list. If I'm wrong, I'll happily come back and edit this post. But I don't think I'll have to. Related: As much as I miss Moore's ABC line, I am pleased as punch for him that he's out from under his indentured servitude to DC, a company that has gone far out of its way to shit on him time and time again. And I look forward to supporting every project he chooses to create with any other publisher. DC really, really fucked up when they decided (multiple times) to alienate the best writer ever to work in comics, and they will likely lose hundreds of thousands of dollars or more in future revenue as a result of their petty, vindictive bullshit. Fuck anyone who had a hand in Moore's decision to separate himself permanently from the company.

And now, because there was just a lot of it, here's some of:

THE WORST of 2007

* Martha Washington Dies, Frank Miller and Dave Gibbons (Dark Horse) -- I don't know what I was expecting from this, but having really enjoyed the original series back when it debuted, this came as something of a shallow, pointless kick in the teeth. [Martha Washington Dies review].

* Green Lantern Sinestro Corps Special #1, Geoff Johns and Ethan Van Sciver (DC) -- Noogies. Fucking noogies. Who does Geoff Johns have pictures of, and what farm animal are they sodomizing, exactly? I can't believe anyone would even have to ask if Geoff Johns still sucks, but there it is. He sure as fuck does. [GLSCS #1 review].

* Tales from the Crypt #1, various (Papercutz) -- Very possibly the worst idea of the year, if not ever. [TFTC #1 review].

* Thor #1, J. Michael Straczynski and Oliver Coipel (Marvel) -- "How mightily it fails to impress," I said, proving just how pervasive Thor's pseudo-Shakespearean dialect might be. This was one big, malodorous turd in the mighty small punchbowl that is "what I expect from Marvel these days." [Thor #1 review].

* The Highwaymen #1 (DC/Wildstorm) -- The creators of this exercise in generic tedium were shocked when the title was canceled after a handful of issues. I sure as hell wasn't. [The Highwaymen #1 review].

LOOKING AHEAD

What am I looking forward to in 2008? Hopefully more surprises like Crecy and I shall Destroy All The Civilized Planets, and more expected excellence like Criminal, All-Star Superman, Scott Pilgrim, anything by Rick Geary, and The Boys. And I really hope Dark Horse collects (in hardcover, goddamn it!) Kurt Busiek and Greg Ruth's Born on the Battlefield, one of the most compelling Conan stories ever presented. I'd also like to see Barry Windsor-Smith's Paradoxman collection from Fantagraphics, and see Marvel get its head out of its ass and release BWS's Thing graphic novel.

Labels: lists, recommendations, reviews

// posted by Alan David Doane @ 12:46 PM [LINK TO THIS] | 1 COMMENTS | E-MAIL ADD | SUBSCRIBE

 
Strange & Stranger: The World of Steve Ditko -- If you saw the recent BBC special on Steve Ditko, this news will be about the most exciting you've seen all year. If not, it probably still is. Here's the press release from Fantagraphics Books:

ANNOUNCING “STRANGE & STRANGER: THE WORLD OF STEVE DITKO”

COMING IN JUNE 2008 FROM FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS

On his 80th birthday, Fantagraphics Books is proud to announce the
June 2008 release of the first critical retrospective of Steve Ditko,
the co-creator and original artist of the Amazing Spider-Man.

In the wake of the astonishing success of Sam Raimi’s three Spider-
Man movies, Steve Ditko’s status as a driving force behind the pop
culture icon has been revealed to an audience the world over. But, in
the context of Steve Ditko’s 50-year career in comics, his creative
involvement with Spider-Man is merely the tip of the iceberg.

Ditko is known amongst the cartooning cognoscenti as one of the
supreme visual stylists in the history of comics, as well as the most
fiercely independent cartoonist of his generation. From his earliest
days in the 1950s, working for the notorious low-budget Charlton
Comics (the Roger Corman Productions of the comics industry), Steve
Ditko broke every convention in comics, with his innovative special
designs and imaginatively hallucinatory landscapes of Dr. Strange,
the almost plebian earthiness of The Amazing Spider-Man, and his
black-and-white views on morality and justice through his
uncompromising vigilante of the late 1960s, Mr. A (inspired by the
work of Atlas Shrugged author and Objectivist philosopher, Ayn Rand).

Why will this book appeal to such a broad readership, to those who
may not even be comic-book, or Steve Ditko, fans? “For the non-comic-
book reader,” says author Blake Bell (author and essayist for the
Marvel Comics’ line of Ditko-related Omnibus reprint projects), “we
tell the narrative of Steve Ditko, the artist, from humble beginnings
in Johnstown Pennsylvania; to the dizzying heights of co-creating
Spider-Man; to the spectacular Howard Roark-like determination, and
tribulations, in bringing his personal and philosophical vision to a
recalcitrant audience. There’s a fantastic, dramatic storyline
running through Ditko’s career; the artist having walked away from
the Spider-Man franchise (and the billions it was to generate) as it
was reaching the height of its popularity. What price did Ditko pay,
and what was the impact on his work?”

Comic-book fans have also been waiting for a definitive examination
of Ditko the artist; a chance to have the entire artistic scope of
his career in one volume. “Fans of Ditko, and comic art, will not be
able to put the book down,” says Bell, “as we explode many of the
myths surrounding key moments in Ditko’s career, as well as present
reams of rare and unpublished Ditko artwork. For the comic art
scholar, we also break down the “hows” of Steve Ditko as a great
sequential storyteller, dissecting his work in depth for the first
time, also with analysis and commentary by some of the most skilled
and articulate comic creators of the day.”

While Steve Ditko himself remains absent for the World Wide Web
(minus a summer back in 2001, when Bell himself worked for Ditko as
his official web site designer), Strange & Stranger will assault the
’Net with similar intensity to that of the creator himself.

In addition to updates to Bell’s unofficial Steve Ditko web site at
www.ditko.comics.org, readers will be able to keep abreast of updates
with pages on Facebook, MySpace, and a dedicated feature page at the
Fantagraphics web site, found through the portal
www.steveditkobook.com and launching soon. This will have a web log
offering on-going commentary on the process of creating the book,
with commentary by Bell and the staff at Fantagraphics. It will also
publish commentary by professional comic-book creators on Ditko’s
career and artwork, and feature artwork that won't make it into the
book. As the book speeds to its June 2008 release date, teasers,
convention appearances by Bell, as well as book store signings will
be featured on the site.

2008 will mark the year when Steve Ditko fans the world over will
have the opportunity to celebrate the artist’s 50-plus year career
with this definitive volume from Blake Bell and Fantagraphics Books.

TITLE INFORMATION:

Strange & Stranger: The World of Steve Ditko
By Blake Bell
$39.99 Hardcover
220 pages, full-color, 9” x 12”
ISBN 978-1-56097-921-0
PUBLICATION DATE: June 2008

Labels: art, corporate comics, recommendations

// posted by Alan David Doane @ 4:43 AM [LINK TO THIS] | 0 COMMENTS | E-MAIL ADD | SUBSCRIBE

 
Lifelike -- A small press creator whose work always entertains me is Dara Naraghi. His AKA and other small press comics have always been a blast to read, and it's clear he's in it for the love of creating comics, not because he wants to score a movie deal or hook up with Image or Marvel.

He asked me to mention that his new graphic novel Lifelike is solicited in the current (October) Previews catalog, and I definitely think you should click the link and consider pre-ordering it. It's the "Featured Item" on page 300 of Previews, and the Diamond order code is OCT07 3596. A lot of the book, which started as a webcomic, is available to read at that link, and being published by IDW, it's a good bet the production quality of the finished edition will be top-notch. Click on over and give Lifelike a look.

Labels: recommendations

// posted by Alan David Doane @ 8:46 AM [LINK TO THIS] | 1 COMMENTS | E-MAIL ADD | SUBSCRIBE

 
Two to Get in San Diego -- I won't be at the San Diego Comicon this year (my unbroken streak continues!), but two graphic novels spring immediately to mind as worth recommending to you if you're going and you see them up for sale.

* I Shall Destroy All The Civilized Planets (Fantagraphics Books) -- This big collection of truly freaky superhero comics by Fletcher Hanks is edited by Paul Karasik, and includes an illustrated comic-style afterword about how the project came to be. Hank's talents combine the rubbery stylings of Basil Wolverton interpreting the twisted scripting of Michael Fleischer, with a singleness of purpose to each and every script that at first seems like laziness or a lack of imagination, but by the end of the book will have you realizing in its own way, this one-track mind of Hanks's may have been his greatest gift to comics. He apparently wasn't a very nice guy, if you believe Karasik's afterword (and there's no reason not to), but in his own way his comics seem like a distillation of everything that is possible in superhero comics, and everything that is utterly retarded. This is one of the essential books of the year, without question.

* Spent (Drawn and Quarterly) -- The four issues collected here seemed somehow more monumental when I was buying them in single issues over the years they took to come out, but Joe Matt's latest collection is still, in some ways, his most personal and interesting. The intimate details of his repugnant private life when he was living in Canada are all on display, and no doubt many who knew what he was up to may be glad he's living back in the States now. Matt, Seth and Chester Brown (the latter two are characters in the book) all make up a sort of mini-movement in artcomix, and I find just about everything all three do to be revealing and progressive comics that move the artform forward no matter what their individual tics and foibles. I can't say you'll like the guy once you close the covers of this very well-designed hardcover, but if you're like me you'll find it impossible to stop reading and even admire Matt's ability to depict his own worst nature with what appears to be brutal, if elegant, honesty.

* San Diego Bonus -- Here's Christopher Butcher's Five Favourite San Diego Memories; tell him I said "hi" if you see him there, would you?

Labels: linkblogging, recommendations, reviews

// posted by Alan David Doane @ 5:52 AM [LINK TO THIS] | 0 COMMENTS | E-MAIL ADD | SUBSCRIBE

 
Pull List -- Here's a quick rundown of what I plan to pick up at the comic shop this week.

* BLACK SUMMER #1 (OF 7) -- Avatar releases the "first issue" of Warren Ellis and Juan Jose Ryp's look at superheroes who call bullshit on the political status quo. Here's my review of Black Summer #0. Also arriving this week, in real bookstores, anyway, is Ellis's prose novel that I recently reviewed, Crooked Little Vein.

* BONE VOL. 6 OLD MANS CAVE COLOR ED HC -- I think this came out a week or two back, but I was lax in ordering it, so I get it this week.

* BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER SEASON 8 #5 -- Not much to say about this one, except that if you liked the show, you will like the comic book sequel very much.

* DOKTOR SLEEPLESS #1 -- Another Ellis title from Avatar. I haven't read any preview copies or anything, so I have no idea what the quality of it will be like, but I'm always up for an Ellis #1. Fingers crossed.

* FUTURAMA COMICS #32 -- For my son...

* HEARTBREAK SOUP PALOMAR VOL 1 TP
* MAGGIE THE MECHANIC LOCAS VOL 1 TP -- I hadn't realized these were going to include material not in the gigantic hardcovers of a couple of years ago, so now I am onboard with buying all these softcover re-releases as well. This will mark the fourth or fifth time I've bought some of this material, but you know, it actually is just that goddamned good.

* LOVE & ROCKETS VOL 2 #20 -- Giant-size, this one is gonna be awesome.

* MARVEL PREVIEWS #48 AUGUST 2007
* PREVIEWS VOL XVII #8 -- The less said about these, the better.

* SIMPSONS CLASSICS #13 -- Again, for the boy.

* TEEN TITANS GO #45 -- And ditto.

Three collections (Bone and the L&R volumes) mean this is a pricier than usual week, but luckily I have a doctor's appointment Wednesday, so the exorbitant co-pay will make me even poorer. Yay comics! Yay corrupt, inefficient health care system! Yay!

Labels: recommendations

// posted by Alan David Doane @ 7:19 AM [LINK TO THIS] | 0 COMMENTS | E-MAIL ADD | SUBSCRIBE

 
The Week in Comics -- Looks like some very good stuff is arriving in comics shops this week...

BOOK OF THE WEEK

* Lone Ranger HC and Lone Ranger #7 (Dynamite). I sure would not have expected this title to grab me the way it has, but it's always a fun, dynamic and gorgeously-rendered title. Here's my review of Lone Ranger #1.

OTHER TITLES OF NOTE

* Bone Vol. 6: Old Man's Cave (Scholastic). I never read much Bone until the mammoth one-volume collection came out a few years back. The colours in the new Scholastic editions are absolutely beautiful and add even more to what was already an exceptionally well-realized vision.

* The Comics Journal #284 (Fantagraphics). I never miss an issue of this, the most essential periodical on the subject of comics. In fact, I don't think I've missed more than a handful since I started reading TCJ circa 1980. The issue's Roger Langridge interview should be worth the price of admission all by itself.

* Conan #42 (Dark Horse). Am I enjoying this as much as I did when Kurt Busiek was still writing it? I'm not sure, but I think Tim Truman has exceeded my expectations in his efforts so far to fill Busiek's big, big shoes. I think this is part 2 of "Rogues in the House."

* Godland Vol. 3: Proto Plastic Party (Image). This is one I dropped from my monthly pull list, because the floppies just weren't doing it for me. In a nice, big chunk, Joe Casey and Thomas Scioli's Kirby pastiche reads much better and is far more satisfying.

* The Spirit #8 (DC). Man, I really missed Darwyn Cooke last issue; I think only one of the three fill-in stories really held my attention, and just a month later, I couldn't even tell you what it was about. With Cooke back in the saddle, though, things are sure to be much-improved.

* World War Hulk #2 of 5 (Marvel). Like Lone Ranger, this is a title I would not have predicted ahead of time that I would enjoy. The first issue felt more like a Marvel Comic in the best sense of the word than anything I can remember reading in a long, long time.

Labels: recommendations

// posted by Alan David Doane @ 8:03 AM [LINK TO THIS] | 0 COMMENTS | E-MAIL ADD | SUBSCRIBE

 
Best Comics News of the Month -- Turns out Greg Sadowski is planning a third B. Krigstein volume. The previous two -- one a heavily-illustrated Krigstein biography with selected remastered stories, the other a massive slab of even more remastered masterworks by comics' smartest visionary -- are both absolutely essential for anyone who loves the artform of comics. A third volume automatically goes to the top of my list of highly-anticipated works-in-progress.

Via The Comics Reporter.

Labels: recommendations

// posted by Alan David Doane @ 11:01 AM [LINK TO THIS] | 0 COMMENTS | E-MAIL ADD | SUBSCRIBE

 
Alan David Doane's Recommended Comics, Graphic Novels and Related -- I started reading comic books in 1972, at the age of six. This is a list of the very best comics, graphic novels and related publications I have read in my lifetime of reading and a decade of writing about the artform. This is a work in progress; if you have a suggestion for this page, or if you have questions about any of these titles I've listed, please email me.

Alison Bechdel

• Fun Home, graphic novel, published by Houghton Mifflin

Chester Brown

• I Never Liked You, graphic novel, published by Drawn and Quarterly


• The Little Man, graphic novel, published by Drawn and Quarterly


• Louis Riel, graphic novel, published by Drawn and Quarterly


• The Playboy, graphic novel, published by Drawn and Quarterly

Ed Brubaker

• Criminal, comic books and graphic novels with artist Sean Phillips, published by Marvel/Icon Comics


• Sleeper, comic books and graphic novels with artist Sean Phillips, published by DC/Wildstorm

Charles Burns

• Black Hole, graphic novel, published by Pantheon Books

Eddie Campbell

• Fate of the Artist, graphic novel, published by First Second


• Alec: The King Canute Crowd, graphic novel, published by Top Shelf Productions


• Alec: How to be an Artist, graphic novel, published by Top Shelf Productions


• Alec: Three-Piece Suit, graphic novel, published by Top Shelf Productions


• After The Snooter, graphic novel, published by Top Shelf Productions


• additional works listed under Alan Moore

Dan Clowes

• 20th Century Eightball, graphic novel collecting stores from Eightball, published by Fantagraphics Books


• Caricature, graphic novel collecting stores from Eightball, published by Fantagraphics Books
• Ice Haven, graphic novel, published by Pantheon


• David Boring, graphic novel collecting stores from Eightball, published by Fantagraphics Books


• Eightball, single issue comic book series, published by Fantagraphics Books


• Ghost World, graphic novel collecting stores from Eightball, published by Fantagraphics Books


• Like A Velvet Glove Cast in Iron, graphic novel collecting stores from Eightball, published by Fantagraphics Books


• Pussey, graphic novel collecting stores from Eightball, published by Fantagraphics Books

Jordan Crane

• The Clouds Above, graphic novel, published by Fantagraphics Books

Robert Crumb

• The Complete Crumb Comics, series of graphic novels, published by Fantagraphics Books


• The R. Crumb Handbook, art book and memoir, with writer Pete Poplaski, published by MQ Publications

Joe Daly

• Scrublands, graphic novel collecting short stories, published by Fantagraphics Books

Warren Ellis

• The Authority, comic books and graphic novels with artists Bryan Hitch, Paul Neary and Laura Depuy, published by DC/Wildstorm


• Crécy, graphic novel with artist Raulo Caceres, published by Avatar Press


• Desolation Jones, comic books and graphic novel with artist JH Williams, published by DC/Wildstorm


• Fell, comic books and graphic novels with artist Ben Templesmith, published by Image Comics


• Planetary, comic books and graphic novels with artist John Cassaday, published by DC Wildstorm


• Stormwatch, comic books and graphic novels with artists Tom Raney, Bryan Hitch and others, published by DC/Wildstorm

Garth Ennis

• 303, graphic novel with artist Jacen Burrows, published by Avatar Press


• The Punisher, graphic novels collecting single issue comic books, published by Marvel/MAX Comics


• War Stories, graphic novels with various artists, published by DC/Vertigo Comics

Renee French

• Marbles in My Underpants, graphic novel collecting short stories, published by Oni Press


• Micrographica, graphic novel, published by Top Shelf Productions


• The Ticking, graphic novel published by Top Shelf Productions

Gary Groth

• The Comics Journal, magazine, with managing editor Michael Dean and various contributors, published by Fantagraphics Books


• MOME, semi-annual graphic novel edited by Groth and Eric Reynolds, with various cartoonists, published by Fantagraphics Books

Gilbert Hernandez

• Love and Rockets, comic book series with Jaime Hernandez, published by Fantagraphics Books


• Palomar, graphic novel, published by Fantagraphics Books

Jaime Hernandez

• Ghost of Hoppers, graphic novel, published by Fantagraphics Books


• Locas, graphic novel, published by Fantagraphics Books


• Love and Rockets, comic book series with Gilbert Hernandez, published by Fantagraphics Books

Paul Hornschemeier

• The Collected Sequential, graphic novel collecting short stories, published by AdHouse Books


• Forlorn Funnies, comic book series, first four issues published by Absence of Ink, future issues to be published by Fantagraphics Books


• Let Us Be Perfectly Clear, graphic novel collecting short stories, published by Fantagraphics Books


• Mother, Come Home, graphic novel, published by Dark Horse Comics


• The Three Paradoxes, graphic novel, published by Fantagraphics Books

Kevin Huizenga

• Ganges, ongoing oversized comic series, published by Fantagraphics Books


• Curses, graphic novel collecting stories from anthologies and mini-comics, published by Drawn and Quarterly

James Kochalka

• American Elf, daily diary comic strip


• American Elf Vol. 1, graphic novel collecting daily strips, published by Top Shelf Productions


• American Elf Vol. 2, graphic novel collecting daily strips, published by Top Shelf Productions


• Superfuckers, comic book series published by Top Shelf Productions


• The Cute Manifesto, graphic novel, published by Alternative Comics


• Magic Boy and Girlfriend, graphic novel, published by Top Shelf Productions


• Fantastic Butterflies, graphic novel, published by Alternative Comics


• Fancy Froglin's Sexy Forest, graphic novel, published by Alternative Comics


• Kissers, graphic novel, published by Highwater Books


• Perfect Planet and Other Stories, graphic novel, published by Top Shelf Productions


• Tiny Bubbles, graphic novel published by Highwater Books

Bob Levin

• Outlaws, Rebels, Free Thinkers and Pirates, non-fiction book of essays, published by Fantagraphics Books

Stan Lee and Steve Ditko

• Amazing Spider-Man Omnibus, graphic novel, published by Marvel Comics

Jasen Lex

• Gypsy Lounge: Lunchtime Variety Criminals, graphic novel, published by Aweful Books


• The Science Fair, four single issues, published by Antarctic Press

Jason Marcy

• Jay's Days Volumes 1, 2 and 3, series of graphic novels, published by Hairy Bald Guy Books

Joe Matt

• Peepshow, comic books and graphic novel published by Drawn and Quarterly


• The Poor Bastard, graphic novel, published by Drawn and Quarterly


• Spent, graphic novel, published by Drawn and Quarterly

David Mazzucchelli

• Batman: Year One, with writer Frank Miller, published by DC Comics


• Daredevil: Born Again, with writer Frank Miller, published by Marvel Comics


• Paul Auster's City of Glass, with writer Paul Karasik, published by Picador Press


• Rubber Blanket, series of oversized comic books, self-published

Mike Mignola

• Hellboy, series of graphic novels published by Dark Horse Comics

Mark Miller

• Superman Adventures, digest-sized graphic novels collecting single issue comic books, with various artists, published by DC Comics

Gary Spencer Millidge

• Strangehaven, comics and graphic novels, published by Abiogenesis Press

Tony Millionaire

• Maakies, series of graphic novels collecting comic strips, published by Fantagraphics Books

Alan Moore

• A Disease of Language, graphic novel with artist Eddie Campbell, published by Knockabout Comics


• The Courtyard, graphic novel collecting single issue comics, with artist Jacen Burrows, published by Avatar Press


• From Hell, graphic novel with artist Eddie Campbell, published by Top Shelf Productions


• League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Vol. 1 and 2, series of graphic novels collecting single issue comics, with artist Kevin O'Neill, published by America's Best Comics (future releases published by Top Shelf Productions


• Lost Girls, graphic novel with artist Melinda Gebbie, published by Top Shelf Productions


• Promethea, series of graphic novels collecting single issue comics, with artist JH Williams, published by America's Best Comics


• Smax, graphic novel collecting single issue comics, with artist Zander Cannon, published by America's Best Comics (sequel to Top Ten)


• Tom Strong, series of graphic novels collecting single issue comics, with artist Chris Sprouse and others, published by America's Best Comics


• Top Ten, series of graphic novels collecting single issue comics, with artists Zander Cannon and Gene Ha, published by America's Best Comics


• Top Ten: The Forty-Niners, graphic novel by Alan Moore and Gene Ha, published by America's Best Comics (prequel to Top Ten)


• Voice of the Fire, prose novel with illustrations by José Villarrubia, published by Top Shelf Productions


• Watchmen, graphic novel with artist Dave Gibbons, published by DC Comics


• Writing for Comics, illustrated essay, published by Avatar Press

Grant Morrison

• All-Star Superman, comic book with artist Frank Quitely, published by DC Comics


• The Filth, graphic novel with artist Chris Weston, published by DC/Vertigo Comics


• JLA Earth Two, graphic novel, with artist Frank Quitely, published by DC Comics


• We3, graphic novel collecting single issues with artist Frank Quitely, published by DC/Vertigo Comics

Bryan Lee O'Malley

• Lost at Sea, graphic novel, published by Oni Press


• Scott Pilgrim, series of graphic novels, published by Oni Press

Harvey Pekar

• American Splendor, series of single issue comics and graphic novels, with various artists, published by Four Walls/Eight Windows, DC/Vertigo, Ballantine, Dark Horse and self-published by Pekar

John Porcellino

• Diary of a Mosquito Abatement Man, graphic novel published by La Mano


• King Cat Classix, graphic novel published by Drawn and Quarterly


• King Cat Comics, mini-comic, self-published


• Perfect Example, graphic novel published by Drawn and Quarterly

Jim Rugg

• Street Angel, comic books and graphic novel, with writer Brian Maruca, published by Slave Labor Graphics

Greg Sadowski

• B. Krigstein Comics, biography/art book, published by Fantagraphics Books


• B. Krigstein Comics, graphic novel, published by Fantagraphics Books

Salgood Sam (Max Douglas)

• Revolver, comic book, self-published

Frank Santoro

• Incanto, mini-comic, published by PictureBox, Inc

Charles Schulz

• The Complete Peanuts, series of graphic novels, published by Fantagraphics Books

Seth

• Clyde Fans, graphic novel, published by Drawn and Quarterly


• It's a Good Life if You Don't Weaken, graphic novel, published by Drawn and Quarterly


• Palooka-Ville, comic books, published by Drawn and Quarterly


• Vernacular Drawings, art book, published by Drawn and Quarterly


• Wimbledon Green, graphic novel, published by Drawn and Quarterly

Jeff Smith

• Bone, series of graphic novels, published by Scholastic Books

Jiro Taniguchi

• The Walking Man, graphic novel, published by Fanfare/Ponent Mon

Yoshihiro Tatsumi

• Abandon the Old in Tokyo, graphic novel, published by Drawn and Quarterly


• The Push Man and Other Stories, graphic novel, published by Drawn and Quarterly

Adrian Tomine

• Optic Nerve, comic book, published by Drawn and Quarterly


• Summer Blonde, graphic novel, published by Drawn and Quarterly

C. Tyler

• Late Bloomer, graphic novel, published by Fantagraphics Books

Rob Vollmar and Pablo G. Callejo

• Bluesman, graphic novel serialized in three volumes, published by NBM Publishing


• The Castaways, graphic novel, published by NBM Publishing

Chris Ware

• Acme Novelty Library, series of comic books and graphic novels, published by Fantagraphics Books


• Jimmy Corrigan, The Smartest Kid on Earth

Bill Watterson

• The Complete Calvin and Hobbes, slipcased set of three volumes, published by Andrews McMeel Publishing

Barry Windsor-Smith

• Adastra in Africa, graphic novel, published by Fantagraphics Books


• Young GODS and Friends, graphic novel, published by Fantagraphics Books


• The Freebooters, graphic novel, published by Fantagraphics Books


• Opus Vol. 1 and 2, collecting art and biographical text, published by Fantagraphics Books

Jim Woodring

• The Frank Book, graphic novel, published by Fantagraphics Books

Labels: lists, recommendations

// posted by Alan David Doane @ 4:08 PM [LINK TO THIS] | 0 COMMENTS | E-MAIL ADD | SUBSCRIBE

 
Nine Graphic Novels to Read Before You Die -- It can be daunting, browsing your graphic novel collection in, say, your 40s, and wondering where they'll go when you die. In my head, I know which ones I would like my daughter to have, and my son. And which ones I would like send to which friends, and which ones I hope my wife will finally take a look at.

I've been reading comics since 1972, and the first time I acquired what we would now call a graphic novel was just six or seven years later. I'm brutally selective in what goes on my bookshelves, which is why I only have about 700 graphic novels at the moment, despite at one time or another probably owning five times that many.

If I read it and am certain it will be a lifelong joy to revisit its pleasures, onto the shelves it goes. If I read it and don't find much -- or any -- value in it, chances are it ends up in someone else's hands sooner, rather than later.

Few graphic novels have been so godawfully egregious that I actually throw them away -- books called "Tozzer" and "Americanjism" come to mind as ones that I despised and was certain no one else would find of value, either, so in the trash they went. But usually I am certain someone will get some pleasure out of even most books I don't much care for, which is why I end up giving away, trading or selling books that don't make the cut into my permanent graphic novel library.

I don't know if you're like me. I don't know if you have given this much thought into which graphic novels you own or have read. But I do know this: There are nine graphic novels you should indisputably read before you die. And here they are.

* The Filth. As recently as yesterday, I noticed an article on a popular comic book website claiming this -- one of Grant Morrison's very best and most mind-expanding works -- is "difficult to read." Bullshit. Start at the top left of page one, and make your way to the bottom right. Repeat until you're finished. It's fucking brilliant, and worth the time it takes to let it immerse itself into your consciousness.

* We3. Getting all the Morrison right out of the way up front, We3 is a gorgeous and thoughtful rumination on man's relationship to, stewardship of, and abuse toward our fellow inhabitants of Earth.

* Book of Leviathan. You'll find a lot of intelligent comics critics recommending this one, even though you may very well never have heard of it. Once you read it, you will never forget it.

* David Boring. Much more than the oddball mystery it appears at first glance, David Boring is one of Clowes's most dense and rewarding stories, and also paradoxically one of his most straightforward. You just have to pay attention.

* Diary of a Teenage Girl. If I could ask you to read only one book on this list, this is the one that I'd ask you to read. It will change the way you think about relationships and sexuality, and also demonstrate just how powerful comics can be as a storytelling medium.

* Fantastic Butterflies. James Kochalka says he probably won't do more longform graphic novels like this one, which is sort of an extended version of his American Elf daily diary comic strips. It's also one of his most entertaining and impressive graphic novels.

* Jays Days: Rise and Fall of the Pasta Shop Lothario. Jason Marcy is one of the most blunt and insightful autobiographical cartoonists alive today, and this is the book of his that you should read, if you only try one.

* The Journal Comic. Drew Weing was my favourite webcomics cartoonist during the time he was producing these strips. I wish he'd kept it up.

* The Ticking. Renee French contains multitudes within her talent, from eerie mindfucks to sincere and graceful children's books. The Ticking is her most definitive work (so far), and a true masterpiece of comic art.

There are graphic novels that are more accomplished, beautiful or in some other way more outstanding than at least some on this list, but these are nine books that I honestly think are under-appreciated, under-read and under-discussed. All of them deserve your time and attention, and I'd be surprised if you didn't enjoy all of them a great deal. If you decide to sample some of the books on the list, please e-mail me and let me know what you think of what you find within their pages.

Labels: lists, recommendations, reviews

// posted by Alan David Doane @ 10:21 AM [LINK TO THIS] | 0 COMMENTS | E-MAIL ADD | SUBSCRIBE

 
Extras Season Two -- Very glad to see the second season of Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant's Extras (their follow-up to The Office) is coming out on DVD next week.

Now, Extras isn't as immediately, obviously brilliant as The Office was -- I mean, the first episode of The Office I saw was the first episode of Season Two and I was not only not lost, I was hooked for life. I love the entire original British series, both seasons, and I love the U.S. version, and yeah, I pretty much love Extras.

I'm more or less a comedy snob, in the same way I am a superhero comics snob -- I can and do enjoy comedy, but it's got to be intelligent and present a singular comedic vision. Gervais and Merchant tend to deliver that in spades.

Extras is a little slower-paced and deliberate than The Office, but it's much more about character. Other than Tim and Dawn, most of the characters on The Office (just like working in a real office, it should be noted) were somewhat two-dimensional twats who deserved whatever they got. Gervais's own character eventually acquired some genuine depth beyond being pathetic, arrogant and sad, but poor Sir David of Brent had to wait until the two Christmas special episodes to earn any real sympathy. Most all the lead characters on Extras are more nuanced and likable, and I think it's a slightly more thoughtful show as well. Which is weird, because I think I like The Office more, but they're do very different that it's almost apples and oranges directly comparing the two. I do love them both mightily, though. Added bonus: Gervais's co-star Ashley Jensen is exquisite.

So if you like good comedy, but perhaps haven't seen Extras as of yet, just a heads up, as of Tuesday, the entire series to date will be available on DVD and is well worth your attention.

Labels: recommendations, tv

// posted by Alan David Doane @ 9:45 AM [LINK TO THIS] | 0 COMMENTS | E-MAIL ADD | SUBSCRIBE

 
Last Chance to Read Inanna's Tears Online -- Writer Rob Vollmar wants you to know Inanna's Tears will be coming down from the Modern Tales website sometime in the next 24 hours, so if you would like one last chance to read the graphic novel online before it's published in print, click here to read Inanna's Tears. Go forth and clickify!

Labels: linkblogging, recommendations

// posted by Alan David Doane @ 7:14 AM [LINK TO THIS] | 0 COMMENTS | E-MAIL ADD | SUBSCRIBE

 
Tuesday, Briefly -- Not a lot going on this morning. I added a few more Make Mine COMICS! images and links to the gizmo on the top of the sidebar, if you're keeping score. I'm still welcoming your suggestions for images and links, so e-mail me if you like.

My son has his elementary school graduation this afternoon, as he is heading into middle school next year. My daughter, and it gives me pause to write these words, but she is starting high school. I think I must offically be very, very old. Having quit caffeine last week in the wake of my little health crisis, I certainly feel old. Or tired, at least.

I started reading the new Fletcher Hanks collection I Shall Destroy All The Civilized Planets from Fantagraphics last night, review forthcoming. But I'll say right out of the gate that anyone at all that enjoys comics storytelling or adventure fiction should pick it up, it's absolutely essential reading, in its own, unique way. It's pretty great to live in a time where there's enough of a market for comics that something like this can find a place on a publisher's release schedule, given the obvious amount of editorial and production attention that went into making the volume as beautiful as it is.

Hey, did you download and read Abhay Khosla's Left Field yet? You should.

Labels: real life, recommendations

// posted by Alan David Doane @ 7:01 AM [LINK TO THIS] | 0 COMMENTS | E-MAIL ADD | SUBSCRIBE

 
Coming Out of Left Field -- Abhay Khosla is reporting some interesting numbers (scroll down to the eighth message) about the free, online release of his graphic novel Left Field.

I'm sure other comics creators have release works like this in free, downloadable .CBZ format before, but this little experiment of AK's has the ring of a quiet revolution to it. Maybe it's because it's AK, a truly gifted writer; maybe because it's free; maybe because it's a long, rewarding and funny story. Maybe it's all of those.

Maybe others will pay attention and give this a try.

Like I said, it seems like the start of something interesting.

Labels: recommendations

// posted by Alan David Doane @ 6:13 PM [LINK TO THIS] | 0 COMMENTS | E-MAIL ADD | SUBSCRIBE

 
The Monday Briefing -- Father's Day has come and gone, and as I mentioned in a conversation last night with Chris Allen, while I don't think I am as invested in the idea of a perfect Father's Day as my wife is in a correspondingly perfect Mother's Day, it's still nice to be the family belle of the ball for one day. A joke comes to mind, but it's kind of gross and I haven't had breakfast yet.

Roger Green mentions it's Roger Ebert's 65th birthday today. After a few years of very serious health issues, I'd guess he's glad, indeed, to be here to see this day. I'm not much of a celebrity-watcher, but I have to admit I've worried at times about Roger Ebert recently as much as I do my wife or kids when they are sick. He's managed to pull through some extremely serious health problems, and I am profoundly grateful for that. Roger Green mentions Ebert's great gifts as a film critic, and I'll second all that. If you have any interest at all in criticism in general or film criticism in particular, you should really take a look at Ebert's two "Great Movies" essay collections. They are fantastic reading that will send you off on an exploration of some of the best and most compelling movies ever made, even as they allow you to get to know Ebert and his sensibilities in a manner that is direct, engaging and most importantly fun.

Roger Green also points out that it's Paul McCartney's 65th birthday, but, you know, his big landmark birthday was obviously last year. Roger runs down a good list of McCartney post-Fab Four songs worth listening to, but I'll spare you the top ten and say that all of Band on the Run holds up really well, and at least half of Tug of War is really good, too.

Not much to say about comics at the moment -- scroll down through the past few days for plenty on that subject -- but I will say the comic that surprised me the most last week was World War Hulk #1. After browsing it for free at The Favoured Store, I broke down and bought it. It's a good, old-fashioned Marvel Comic in the best sense of the word, and even manages to make Iron Man not seem like a villain. Except to the Hulk, which is kind of the impetus to the whole kerfuffle. Good, fun superhero storytelling, the kind of which you don't much see in either Marvel or DC's main universes anymore.

Labels: corporate comics, linkblogging, monday briefing, recommendations

// posted by Alan David Doane @ 5:26 AM [LINK TO THIS] | 0 COMMENTS | E-MAIL ADD | SUBSCRIBE

 
In Stores Tomorrow -- Bluesman Book Three:


The conclusion to one of the best comics you'll read this year. Learn more at The Bluesman Project, or, if you think my taste is in my ass, there's always Christipher Butcher's comments:

"This is a smart, well-illustrated story told about an aspect of American history that's not really a part of the public consciousness. Particularly if you're a music buff as well. I really enjoyed the first part and with part three finishing up the whole thing, I think I'm going to really enjoy sitting and reading this from start to finish."

If you only buy one comic this week, make sure it's Bluesman Book Three.

Labels: recommendations

// posted by Alan David Doane @ 6:53 AM [LINK TO THIS] | 0 COMMENTS | E-MAIL ADD | SUBSCRIBE

 
Bluesman Book Three Preview -- Check out the gorgeous artwork of Pablo G. Callejo in a preview of Bluesman Book Three at The Pulse.

And I note with glee that Bluesman writer Rob Vollmar is hinting at a new, remastered and expanded edition of The Castaways over on his blog.

Rob and Pablo make great comics, 'nuff said!

Labels: recommendations

// posted by Alan David Doane @ 8:06 AM [LINK TO THIS] | 0 COMMENTS | E-MAIL ADD | SUBSCRIBE

 
Pekar and Piskor's Macedonia -- The recent Ballantine release of Harvey Pekar and Gary Dumm's American Splendor: Ego and Hubris (which Chris Allen nicely describes here) is one of the best graphic novels of the year so far, and a refreshing palliative in the wake of the somewhat disappointing The Quitter. It chronicles the life of cranky, brilliant iconoclast Michael Malice and is a shocking, addictive profile. Malice's quick mind and Ayn Rand-informed philosophies might make him an aggravating carpool partner, but Pekar and Dumm's depiction of his life story is nearly impossible to put down once you start reading it.

Pekar -- one of the Founding Fathers of autobiographical comics -- is next teaming up with artist Ed Piskor for a project titled Macedonia. From the preview I've seen, it looks to skew much closer to the delightful Ego and Hubris territory than to The Quitter. Piskor tells me the book is about a "girl [named] Heather Roberson [that he met] while he was promoting the [American Splendor] movie. Heather's family owns a theatre and she found herself in a conversation with Pekar talking about her college career. She studies peace and conflict studies at UC Berkeley and kept getting into debates with professors who explained to her that war is inevitable but she wasn't satisfied with their examples. She kept pointing out Macedonia in her arguments which a recipe for disaster with all of the different and disenfranchised ethnic groups trying to gain some basic and political status. She ended up going to the balkans to prepare her thesis and she took very detailed notes for Harvey to weave her story in comic book form."

You can view a generous selection of Macedonia preview pages at Piskor's website.

Labels: recommendations

// posted by Alan David Doane @ 6:44 PM [LINK TO THIS] | 0 COMMENTS | E-MAIL ADD | SUBSCRIBE

 
Two Great New Books From Fantagraphics -- Last night I read two new books, SCRUBLANDS by Joe Daly and INNOCENCE AND SEDUCTION: THE ART OF DAN DECARLO by Bill Morrison, both published by Fantagraphics Books.

SCRUBLANDS is a wonderful book of highly readable and entertaining comics by an African cartoonist seeing print in North America for the first time. I found it impossible to put the book down; it's funny, surreal, and quite beautiful. Daly is on my permanent list of creators I always read based on the strength of this one book.

---

INNOCENCE AND SEDUCTION is an unspeakably well-produced artbook that showcases the full spectrum of DeCarlo's artistic power from the very beginning to the end of his career. It's also a deeply moving memorial and biography. More comics creators should be given this sort of respect.

I know I'll be re-reading both of these volumes again and again. Two very different books, but both essential to anyone interested in where comics has been (DeCarlo), and what is still possible to achieve in the medium (Daly).

Labels: recommendations

// posted by Alan David Doane @ 1:58 PM [LINK TO THIS] | 0 COMMENTS | E-MAIL ADD | SUBSCRIBE

 
Father and Daughter Reunion -- It seems the forthcoming MY DAY IN THE LIFE OF JAY collection from Jason Marcy and Friends (and I'm more than a little proud to be in that group) will contain not only my first published comic book story, but a pin-up by my daughter as well.

I'm pretty happy with how my story came out -- Jay drew it, so it looks great, and it tells the true story of my family's visit to Ontario last year.

Any longtime reader of this blog knows I am a big fan of Jason Marcy's Jay's Days series of autobio graphic novels, and this collection should be a worthy companion, true stories by the people who know and love the man himself. Make sure you keep an eye out here or on Jay's LiveJournal for details on when and how to get a copy for your own self.

Labels: real life, recommendations

// posted by Alan David Doane @ 7:27 AM [LINK TO THIS] | 0 COMMENTS | E-MAIL ADD | SUBSCRIBE

 
Top Shelf at APE -- Brett Warnock sends along this heads-up about Top Shelf's plans for the Alternative Press Expo:

The Alternative Press Expo (APE) this year is April 8th and 9th. And
Top Shelf Productions will be there in force. Publisher Brett Warnock
will be joined by Guest of Honor Alex Robinson (and his wife Kristen);
cartoonists Renee French, Jeffrey Brown, and Jeremy Tinder, all of whom
will have brand spanking new books (The Ticking, Every Girl is the End
of the World For Me, and Cry Yourself to Sleep, respectively); Aaron
(Spiral-Bound) Renier, Jennifer Daydreamer (eponymous), and Liz Prince
(Will You Still Love Me If I Wet The Bed?), are scheduled to attend as
well.

The Ticking
Every Girl is the End of the World For Me
Cry Yourself to Sleep
Spiral-Bound
Jennifer Daydreamer
Will You Still Love Me If I Wet The Bed?

Information and reviews about these books, plus creator interviews with
the creators is available at the Top Shelf website.

Labels: recommendations

// posted by Alan David Doane @ 5:58 AM [LINK TO THIS] | 0 COMMENTS | E-MAIL ADD | SUBSCRIBE

 
The Friday Briefing -- I won't get to the comics shop before Saturday afternoon at the earliest, but thanks to what Internet Hipsters lovingly refer to as "The Favoured Store," I've already read the final issue of Tom Strong -- and it's a great farewell to the series, the character, and the ABC Universe.

Jog has a (warning, SPOILERS!) terrific look at the final Tom Strong issue (and the final Tomorrow Storeies as well), and it's nice to see he was as surprised by Moore's big revelation about Tom and a certain other character in the book as I was. Moore always manages to make surprises like this seem obvious in retrospect, one of the great charms and delights of his work and an element that runs through most of his best efforts, from Swamp Thing to Marvelman and beyond. I'm going to miss Moore's joyous, fantastic ABC efforts; and like Jog, I am thankful that they're in print and available for new readers to immerse themselves in. Top Ten, Promethea, Tom Strong, Tomorrow Stories and more, if Alan Moore wrote it and ABC released it, chances are you've got some great (and I think undervalued by most readers) comics right there waiting for you.

In other news, James Sime sends a timely reminder that he has posted a preview of Skyscrapers of the Midwest #3 on the Isotope Comics site. Check that out.

And by the time most of you read this, Chris Allen's newest BREAKDOWNS column should be up on the main page of Comic Book Galaxy. Among the books he covers this week is Late Bloomer, a wonderful hardcover offering from Carol Tyler, published by Fantagraphics. Please check 'em out, the column and the book both.

Newly stocked up on antibiotics and painkillers to deal with my current dental dysfunction, I need to take a shower and get to work. So have a great Friday, have a wonderful weekend, and I'll see you back here soon.

Labels: linkblogging, monday briefing, recommendations, reviews

// posted by Alan David Doane @ 1:48 AM [LINK TO THIS] | 0 COMMENTS | E-MAIL ADD | SUBSCRIBE

 
Comic of the Week! -- I was very excited to receive this press release from Rob Vollmar:

THE BLUESMAN IS BACK!

One year after it began, the BLUESMAN saga from Rob
Vollmar and Pablo G. Callejo returns this week with
the release of BLUESMAN Book Two from NBM
Publications. Picking up after the shocking events
that ended Book One, this second "stanza" of BLUESMAN
follows Lem Taylor on his desperate flight through the
wilderness to escape punishment for a crime he didn’t
commit. But, back in Hope, Sheriff Harold Beasely
inherits a heap of troubles of his own as the powerful
and vengeful family of his white John Doe comes to
town, determined to reap vengeance from those he has
sworn to protect and serve.

BLUESMAN, the second graphic novel from the
Eisner-nominated creators of THE CASTAWAYS, has
already been recognized by critics as being a
"terrific example of great storytelling, positive
imagery and historical human interest" (William
Foster), as well as a "careful, insightful evocation
of a bygone time" (William W. Savage).

Interested parties are invited to the BLUESMAN website at in order to learn more.

To order BLUESMAN through a local Direct Market comics
retailer, present them with the following information.
Copies of BLUESMAN can also be purchased directly from
the publisher at http://www.nbmpub.com

BLUESMAN Vol 1,2 by Rob Vollmar and Pablo G. Callejo
80 pgs, $8.95, B&W
Order Codes:

BOOK ONE: NOV053052 BLUESMAN VOL 1 GN (New NBM
Printing)

BOOK TWO: NOV053053 BLUESMAN VOL 2 GN

Make sure you pick up your copy today!

Labels: recommendations

// posted by Alan David Doane @ 1:46 AM [LINK TO THIS] | 0 COMMENTS | E-MAIL ADD | SUBSCRIBE

 
My First Comic Script -- I wrote my first real comics script a few months ago, after my family returned from a terrific long weekend in Oshawa and Toronto with Jay, Kris and Xander Marcy. Judging by today's Jay's Days daily diary strip, I might actually get to see the story in comics form. This is much more exciting for me than is probably healthy.

The story is set to appear in the forthcoming MY DAY IN THE LIFE OF JAY collection, a new compilation of stories by people in Jay's life, relating to their relationships with him. I truly can't wait to see how this book comes out. And if you haven't read any of the three JAY'S DAYS collections yet, you're missing out on some of the funniest and most genuinely human autobiographical comics around. Tell your retailer to order 'em for you, or visit Jason Marcy's website.

Labels: recommendations

// posted by Alan David Doane @ 4:56 AM [LINK TO THIS] | 0 COMMENTS