PEGGY ADAM is a French comics artist with numerous titles under her belt. I have Luchadoras, her acclaimed English debut in stock.
RINA AYUYANG's charming and lowkey comics have been a staple of the Bay Area scene for many years, and now two of Portland's best comix publishers, Sparkplug and Tugboat, have teamed up to release her first book-form collection, Whirlwind Wonderland.
ALABASTER is a Brooklyn (?) artist I know nothing about, except her (his?) comics are so lovely.
Above: Three spreads from AX: Alternative Manga
EDD BALDRY et al. On our recent West Coast tour, Noah and I kept running into this gang of crazy UK zinesters who were also on tour, following us (or were we following THEM?!?!) around the country. We met up with them in Minneapolis, Portland, San Francisco, and finally, back in Denver! Edd was their charming anarchist spokesperson, and I picked up several interesting UK comic-zines from him...
THE WALL #1 by Edd Baldry. In this wordless Wind in the Willows inspired allegory, Rat and Mole wake up one morning to find their homes walled-in and sharpshooters waiting outside to pick them off. Together they plan an escape into the Wild Wood. The story is arresting and the art is cartoony and nice. 6.25" x 6.25"; 36 pages with two-color covers; $5.00.
LAUREN BARNETT draws funny, nutty comics about antagonistic squirrels etc.
JOSH BAYER is a wild genius of cartooning. His scratchy and gestural comics reveal a complexity and subtlety that mightn't be noticed at first glance. Funny, angry and smart, we could use more comix like these!
CARA BEAN: Painter, cartoonist and arts educator, Miss Bean is a Boston-area artist whose work is gentle, sly, and lovingly crafted.
►NEW! - GORILLA YEAR #1 by Cara Bean: Cartoonist Bean presents the first in a series of Gorilla-related comics-- a dreamlike story of personal discovery featuring plenty of gorillas, natch, but also some cats, dogs, and squirrels. Plus Gorilla Art, and a brief introduction in comics form to Cara's Gorilla-Mania. 28 half-legal pages, b+w interiors with a gorgeous full color cover; $5.00
JIMMY BEAULIEU is a stalwart Montréal cartoonist and publisher. He has published dozens of comics and books, both of his own and for others, under his various imprints (currently, Colosse).
GABRIELLE BELL is one of my favorite contemporary cartoonists. Her quietly detached views of modern life are sweet and smart. I can't recommend highly enough her recent book collections from Drawn & Quarterly... meanwhile, we have this small-press release in stock:
L.A. DIARY is a collection of Gabrielle Bell's acclaimed autobiographical comics published in conjunction with the Minneapolis Rain Taxi Festival. In a rare glimpse behind Gabrielle's creative process, the book also contains several strips taken directly from her real comics diary. 20 pages with two-color covers, and an introduction by cartoonist/publisher Tom K. $4.00 ONLY TWO LEFT! WRITE FIRST TO CONFIRM AVAILABILITY. After that it's out of print.
LA Diary
SAN DIEGO DIARY: Gabrielle's latest from Uncivilized Bookstells of her trip to the San Diego Comic Con. Amazing as usual. 28 pages, 2 color covers, $5.00.
San Diego Diary
MARC BELL is one of my favorite cartoonists of all time. His loopy, giddy comics are populated with some of the strangest and most lovable characters you'll ever meet. Absurd, with a delicious sense of wit and an openhearted gentleness, these are the kind of comics you read over and over, and savor every time.
Above: Various pages from Nog a Dod
SHRIMPY AND PAUL AND FRIENDS is Marc's first, classic, collection, from Highwater Books way back in the day. I've managed to snag a bunch for you. This book belongs on the shelf of anyone who loves cartooning. 212 6" x 9" pages, b+w with spot colors and full color segments; $17.00.
MIKE BERTINO's Trigger is a "one-man-anthology," published by Revival House. Well written and nicely drawn, it runs the gamut from quiet fiction to out-of-control raunch. I have the first two issues in stock:
TRIGGER #1 by Mike Bertino: Features the stories "Grown-ups Part One," about a young, idealistic high school teacher as he navigates his new world of academic politics and intrigue; "Flannels Are Cool Again," a ridiculous barroom tale of bathroom sex, ex-lax cookies, and losers; and "Below Us," a harrowing short story about hallucinating. 28 pages, color covers/b+w interiors, 6" x 8"; $5.00.
TRIGGER #2 by Mike Bertino: Latest issue has "Grown-ups Part Two"; the surreal "Goo Pants"; and a cool, short sci-fi story. Great. 28 pages, color covers/b+w interiors, 6" x 8"; $5.00.
CLARA BESSIJELLE is a young Swedish cartoonist, whose work in graphite is intricate, mysterious, and dreamlike. We have ner new Domino Book Faceman in stock...
►NEW! - THE LOBSTER KING Part One by Clara Bessijelle: The odd yet compelling introduction to the rude and confusing Lobster King. Beautifully drawn in a strange black and white pencil style reminiscent of silent movies and German expressionism. Ignatz nominated. 16 full-sized pages, black and white; $4.00
BLACK AND RED is a radical book publisher out of Detroit. Their Reproduction of Daily Life was the book that prompted me to quit my factory job in 1992 and start Spit and a Half. They also publish a good amount of Situationist literature, of which I carry a few below.
►NEW! - ON THE POVERTY OF STUDENT LIFE: Classic Situationist tract, written in 1966, addressing the complacency and co-optation of the college-age youth of the time, but still applicable to all of us: "In modern capitalism, reification becomes a spectacle where everyone is assigned a specific role within the collective passivity. The student is no exception to this role. His is a temporary role, a rehearsal for his proper role when he will serve actively to preserve the commodity system. Being a student is just an initiation." Not as dense as Society of the Spectacle, but loaded with zingers. 36 digest pages, all text, with notes. $3.00
►NEW! -- SOCIETY OF THE SPECTACLE by Guy Debord. One of the seminal texts of the Situationist International, from one of its founding members, Society of the Spectacle is a penetrating critique of modern Western society. In it, Debord lays out his case that we've been turned into suckers, passively viewing the antics of politicians and celebrities instead of living our own lives. This is the original English translation of this 1967 text, which, sadly, only grows more relevant over time. 120 pages of dense French philosophy and lightning-like insights. NOT COMICS; $6.00.
►NEW! - FACEMAN by Clara Bessijelle (Domino Books): This fantastic new release is a great introduction to Bessijelle's work: Dark and ominous, yet playful, and rendered in detailed graphite, Faceman is a weird and warped tour de force, returning one to the heady cultural days of the Weimar. Highly recommended. "A theater critic attends an incomprehensible play. Forced to write about the it, he finds he can't remember a single detail. He attempts to ask the box office clerk to summarize the plot but instead she misunderstands him and the critic finds himself forced to view the performance a second time. While sitting in the theater, a man begins to follow him, always one step away. Slowly the critic becomes entangled with events that will force him to question his 'identity'---a problem that sets him onto a collision course with the powerful Identity Group." 24 pages, 8" x 10"; color cover, b+w interior; $5.00.
BLACK AND RED is a radical book publisher out of Detroit. Their Reproduction of Daily Life was the book that prompted me to quit my factory job in 1992 and start Spit and a Half. They also publish a good amount of Situationist literature, of which I carry a few below.
►NEW! -- THE REPRODUCTION OF DAILY LIFE by Fredy Perlman. "What sustains Capitalism? Our acceptance of everyday activities. The text offers a clear introduction to basic Marxist concepts like commodity fetishism, and surplus value; it also traces the transformation of human activity into capital." Reading this pamphlet when I was 23 years old and driving a forklift was one of the most powerful moments in my life, and led directly to me starting this distro. 24 digest pages, NOT COMICS; only $2.00.
ARIEL BORDEAUX is one of the most beloved cartoonists of the 90's Revolution. Paper Rocket Minicomics has just re-released her work!
►NEW! - THE COMPLETE DEEP GIRL by Ariel Bordeaux (Paper Rocket): This lovingly produced collection compiles all of Bordeaux's self-published Deep Girl comics from the 90's, plus a foreword by Adrian Tomine, lots of color photos, an essay by editor Robyn Chapman, and a new interview with Bordeaux by Rob Clough. One of the seminal greats of minicomics finally gets her due! Wow. 128 pages, 8.5" x 7", hand bound with silkscreened dust jacket. 20.00.
BOUND AND GAGGED #1 edited by Tom Neely. This catalog/comic book commemorates a Gag Cartoon art show held at Secret Headquarters in LA, curated by Tom Neely. includes cartoons and art by Andrice Arp, Marc Bell, Elijah Brubaker, Shawn Cheng, Chris Cilla, Michael Deforge, Kim Deitch, J.T. Dockery, Theo Ellsworth, Austin English, Eamon Espey, Julia Gfrorer, Robert Goodin, Levon Juhanian, Julaicks, Kaz, David King, Tom Neely, Anders Nilsen, Scot Nobles, Jason Overby, John Porcellino, Jesse Reklaw, Tim Root, Zak Sally, Gabby Schulz, Josh Simmons, Ryan Standfest, Kaz Strzepek, Matthew Thurber, Noah Van Sciver, Dylan Williams, and Chris Wright. Whew! 5" x 6.5"; 76 perfect-bound pages, with full color covers by Chris Cilla, and b+w/full color interiors; $10.00.
MELINDA BOYCE I met Melinda at the 2010 Portland Zine Symposium, and wow-- her comics blew me away! She has a really distinctive voice, and a riveting color gouache style that is scrumptious to look at. One of my favorite discoveries in years, these comics are completely awesome!
AOA #1 - Wonderful collection of Melinda's daily diary comics, covering March-August of 2009, all in gorgeous full color! If you are into autobio stuff, you will NOT be disappointed, these are some of the best comics to come down the pike in awhile! 5.5" x 6"; 180 full color perfect-bound pages with color covers; $18.00.
JOHN BRODOWSKI's comic Curio Cabinet features pop culture tropes run through the surrealist wringer. Drawn in a milky, smeared style, with graphite, and, lately, woozy digital effects, his comics are one of a kind tales of violence and transcendence.
BOX BROWN is the mastermind behind Retrofit Comics and an accomplished cartoonist in his own right.
►NEW! -- SOCK by Box Brown (Retrofit): A lot of young cartoonists do comics about drugs nowadays, but no one does them with the subtlety and humanity of Box Brown. Sock shows us the life of one doped out dude on party night, with honesty, humor, and compassion. Excellent. 24 mini-pages, b+w; $3.00.
►NEW! - MINI-KUŠ #6: "Killman" by Box Brown: In this epic space drama full of cosmic fisticuffs, Killman is trying to destroy all the gods while maneuvering between friends and foes alike. 28 mini-pages, full color throughout; $5.00.
►NEW! - THE SURVIVALIST by Box Brown (Blank Slate): The latest release from Blank Slate's Ignatz-like Chalk Marks series features a book-length comic from Box Brown about apocalyptic loser Noah Wartowsky, who ignores his co-worker's sniggers and plans to ride out the end of the world in his underground bunker. When the world actually does end, he meets a snarky woman and her cat, and finds himself a changing man. 48 pages, two-color cover and b+w interiors, approx. 8.25" x 11.25"; $8.00.
NATHAN BULMER is that Eat More Bikes guy. He's Canadian lives in Brooklyn. His comics are funny.
►NEW! - CAT HANDS by Nathan Bulmer. The sad but funny tale of a super-hero named Cat Hands who has cats for hands. 12 pages, 5.5" x 5.5", two color cover, b+w interior; $5.00. BACKORDERED.
►NEW! - EAT MORE BIKES FUNNY BOOK #1 by Nathan Bulmer. Bulmer's oddball, off-hand comics are funny, weird and charming. This collection features Alice Cooper Confusion, Awaken Skeletons, Monsieur Truck, and more ridiculousness. 24 pages, 5.5" x 5.5"; $5.00. BACKORDERED
►NEW! - EAT MORE BIKES FUNNY BOOK #2 by Nathan Bulmer. Funny comics full of pop culture references and absurd puns: Stoopy, "Wonder" Woman, Scrabble Wizard and more! 28 pages, 5.5" x 5.5", full color cover, b+w interior; $5.00.
►NEW! - EAT MORE BIKES FUNNY BOOK #3 by Nathan Bulmer. Gross Butt, Doin' the Worm, Snail Lassie and much more! 24 pages, 5.5" x 5.5", full color cover, b+w interior; $5.00.
►NEW! - EAT MORE BIKES FUNNY BOOK #4 by Nathan Bulmer. Dachshund Poop, Butt Brain, They're Playing Our Song, and more! 24 pages, 5.5" x 5.5", full color cover, b+w interior; $5.00.
►NEW! EAT MORE BIKES Comic Book by Nate Bulmer (Koyama Press): This new comic book-sized release features ALL-NEW Eat More Bikes funnies, the kind men like (and women too!). Like: Cool Dudes, Sheriff Duck, What He Says Goes, and lots more. 40 comic-sized pages, color covers, b+w interiors; $10.00.
"NINA BUNJEVAC's style can be described as a cross between Drew Friedman’s early, pointillist work, Kim Deitch’s intensely cartoony drawings that immerse the reader in his stories, and Phoebe Gloeckner’s hyper-realism that dips deeply into the realm of the strange and terrible." --Rob Clough, and I couldn't have said it any better myself, so I won't!
►NEW! - HEARTLESS by Nina Bunjevac (Conundrum): This excellent full-length introduction to Yugoslavia native/Canadian transplant Bunjevac's work includes six short stories featuring her trademark exquisite pointillist rendering and dark and intense yet humorous storytelling, plus a selection of illustrations. Beautifully printed and designed, from one of our most interesting contemporary cartoonists. 126 pages, 6" x 9" hardcover with an introduction by Jay Lynch; b+w interiors with some color; $20.00. Rob Clough review.
CAKE is the annual Chicago Alternative Comics Expo. The following two titles are fundraisers for the festival, and they're frikkin' awesome.
SPECIAL DEAL: Get BOTH CAKE Anthologies (Book + Zine) for only $12.00!
►NEW! -- CAKE Anthology Book (Various Artists): This amazing collection of contemporary comics (edited by Andy Burkholder) belongs on the shelf of anyone interested in such things. Here is just a partial list of contributors: Dane Martin, Brecht Vandenbroucke, Anders Nilsen, Jason T. Miles, Eamon Espey, Aidan Koch, John Hankiewicz, Michael DeForge, Edie Fake, Josh Bayer, Matthew Thurber, Onsmith, and many many more. Then consider that the cost is only $10, and what excuse do you have? You have none! 100 pages, 8.5" x 11", b+w; only $10.00. Seriously.
►NEW! -- CAKE Anthology Zine (Various Artists): New zine anthology edited by Max Morris features charming and challenging work from Lale Westvind, Andy Burkholder, Otto Splotch, Jo Dery, Ben Bertin, Max Morris, Krystal DiFronzio, and Grant Reynolds. 28 digest pages, 2-color cover, b+w interiors; $4.00.
JESSICA CAMPBELL is a Montreal artist and all-round swell human being. Chuck Forsman's Oily Comics has released her latest zine, Sincerest Apologies.
SINCEREST APOLOGIES by Jessica Campbell: Inky, brushed text provides deadpan readings of incidents "Jessica"'s sorry for (not sure if this is fiction of non-fiction), like "I'm sorry I put on Juggalo makeup, drank 8 beers and professed my unrequited love to you." Sweet and funny, with nice inkwash illustrations. 12 mini-sized pages, b+w; $1.00.
►NEW! -- THE PUBLIC LIFE OF BEES by Corinne Mucha Jessica Campbell (Oily): Jessica's new zine is a hilarious guide to bees and the people who love them/are controlled by them. Charming, deadpan, and funny to boot. Includes a list of "bee" puns that were not used in the making of the zine. 12 mini-pages, b+w; $1.00.
MARK CAMPOS of Seattle is a longtime denizen of small press American comics.
►NEW! -- WOW, THEY'RE PLAYING MY SONGS ON THE RADIO, I MUST BE DEAD by Mark Campos (Lucky Rabbit Books): For over twenty years, Mark Campos' thoughtful, well-considered comics have occupied the fringes of even the small-press world. As David Lasky says in his introduction, Campos is too self-effacing to make much noise, or even keep his zines in print, but this little book collects his "best of." These are low-key, simply drawn comics that flitter from one of Campos' interests to the next, deeply personal, but inviting. A bridge from the world of the 80's minicomix explosion to 90's alt-comix, this collection serves it's creator nicely. 102 pages, 5" x 7", color covers, b+w interiors; $7.00.
LILLI CARRÉ has been self-releasing beautiful little comics for some time now, as well as having her work published by companies like Fantagraphics and Top Shelf. Everything she does is worth looking into-- have you seen her beautiful animations? I carry the following titles:
THE LAGOON (Fantagraphics): A family is seduced by a mysterious creature's siren song that can be heard emanating from the lagoon after dark in Lilli Carré’s first long-form work, and how each member reacts to the song in The Lagoon is the crux of the story. For the wise — or pixilated — Grandpa, the song reminds him that, in the time he has left, he must pause to respect, appreciate, and fear nature. The song hints at something that Zoey, the daughter, is too young to fully grasp. And the song lures the sexually frustrated mother, and eventually, her husband, into danger... 80 pages, B+W, 7.5" x 9", hardcover with lovely full color cover; (One SALE copy AVAILABLE HERE.)
NINE WAYS TO DISAPPEAR (Little Otsu): The charmingly peculiar short stories collected in Nine Ways to Disappear revolve loosely around the theme of disappearance and mark a new form for Lilli Carré. Skillfully drawn single panels explore a rich imagined world where actions have unexpected consequences and loneliness pervades, but not without a sense of the absurd. Each story unfolds quickly and features characters that run the gamut: joke-writing sisters gone awry, a wandering sleepwalker, a pearl with curious properties, an elusive coughing neighbor, a wide-eyed girl of questionable appeal, even a storm drain. Whether animate or inanimate, sweet or monstrous, Lilli has the ability to infuse them all with pathos, humanity, and humor. 192 pages, blue ink; 5" x 5.25"; $13.00.
TALES OF WOODSMAN PETE by Lilli Carré (Top Shelf). Tales of Woodsman Pete is a collection of vignettes and stories about a solitary albeit gregarious woodsman with a loose grasp on his own personal history and that of the outside world. He forms relationships with his inanimate surroundings and muses to a dead audience, specifically his bear rug, Philippe. His own tales eventually become entangled with that of the legendary Paul Bunyan, and the two become indirectly intertwined, illuminating the discrepancy between the character of the storyteller and the character within his stories. 80 pages, $7.00.
►NEW! - HEADS OR TAILS by Lille Carré (Fantagraphics): Lilli's lovely new collection brings together her work from the past five years, for MOME and elsewhere, and includes joyfully surreal and brilliantly melancholy stories such as The Thing About Madeleine, The Carnival, Rainbow Moment, and The Flip, all drawn in variously styled but always hypnotic approaches. You get the sense she's an artist that is constantly experimenting, but with a keen critical eye, and very high standards. Excellent. 200 pages, 7" x 9", color and b+w; $23.00.
►NEW! - MINI-KUŠ #6: "Killman" by Box Brown: In this epic space drama full of cosmic fisticuffs, Killman is trying to destroy all the gods while maneuvering between friends and foes alike. 28 mini-pages, full color throughout; $5.00.
NATHAN BULMER is that Eat More Bikes guy. He
►NEW! - EAT MORE BIKES FUNNY BOOK #2 by Nathan Bulmer. Funny comics full of pop culture references and absurd puns: Stoopy, "Wonder" Woman, Scrabble Wizard and more! 28 pages, 5.5" x 5.5", full color cover, b+w interior; $5.00.
"NINA BUNJEVAC's style can be described as a cross between Drew Friedman’s early, pointillist work, Kim Deitch’s intensely cartoony drawings that immerse the reader in his stories, and Phoebe Gloeckner’s hyper-realism that dips deeply into the realm of the strange and terrible." --Rob Clough, and I couldn't have said it any better myself, so I won't!
Above: Selections from Heartless.
CAKE is the annual Chicago Alternative Comics Expo. The following two titles are fundraisers for the festival, and they're frikkin' awesome.
SPECIAL DEAL: Get BOTH CAKE Anthologies (Book + Zine) for only $12.00!
Above: Four spreads from the CAKE Anthology Book
Above: Three spreads from the CAKE Anthology Zine
SPECIAL DEAL: Get BOTH CAKE Anthologies (Book + Zine) for only $12.00!
JESSICA CAMPBELL is a Montreal artist and all-round swell human being. Chuck Forsman's Oily Comics has released her latest zine, Sincerest Apologies.
MARK CAMPOS of Seattle is a longtime denizen of small press American comics.
LILLI CARRÉ has been self-releasing beautiful little comics for some time now, as well as having her work published by companies like Fantagraphics and Top Shelf. Everything she does is worth looking into-- have you seen her beautiful animations? I carry the following titles:
►NEW! - HEADS OR TAILS by Lille Carré (Fantagraphics): Lilli's lovely new collection brings together her work from the past five years, for MOME and elsewhere, and includes joyfully surreal and brilliantly melancholy stories such as The Thing About Madeleine, The Carnival, Rainbow Moment, and The Flip, all drawn in variously styled but always hypnotic approaches. You get the sense she's an artist that is constantly experimenting, but with a keen critical eye, and very high standards. Excellent. 200 pages, 7" x 9", color and b+w; $23.00.
LISA CARVER has been one of the anchors of the American underground scene for decades. Her performance art as a member of SUCKDOG is legendary, and her 90's zine Rollerderby has long stood as one of the high points of that decade's small press movement. In her new self-published book, "________________", Lisa tells a powerful, personal story of childhood sexual abuse.
A page spread from "___________"
CATHON is an artist I know nothing about at all. Except his/her comics are fun to look at and he/she can draw the hell out of raccoons.
RACCOONS by Cathon (Colosse): Short, fragmentary comics and sketches-- crying during Titanic alone, Killer Rat, Seashells; Puking joggers, adorable infants, and yes, raccoons. Plus, more! Nice loopy, soft cartooning. 24 digest pages, b+w; $5.00.
CLUTCH McBASTARD's long-running diary comic (it's in its tenth year!) is one of the classics of the genre. His loopy, lovable characters and deadpan look at daily life make Clutch always a joy to read.
CLUTCH McBASTARD's long-running diary comic (it's in its tenth year!) is one of the classics of the genre. His loopy, lovable characters and deadpan look at daily life make Clutch always a joy to read.
CLUTCH #19 ("The Lost Years") by Clutch McBastard. Greg "Clutch" Means, besides running the great Tugboat Press, has also quietly been inspiring legions of daily cartoon diarists with this long-running strip. Simply drawn and impeccably paced, Greg's comix are standouts in this genre. This book collects daily strips from 2003-2006, including Blazers games, Zine Symposiums, friends and flat tires. You can't go wrong with Clutch! 320 perfect-bound mini-sized pages, $8.00.
CLUTCH #22/INVINCIBLE SUMMER #19 by Clutch and Nicole Georges. Every once in awhile, Greg and Nicole team up for an amazing split diary zine, and this is one of them! It's very cool to see how they each spend the same days, sometimes 1000's of miles apart. In this issue Greg bites his lip and Nicole goes on tour. So good! 7" x 7"; 32 pages in maroon ink; $2.00 
►NEW! -- CLUTCH #23/INVINCIBLE SUMMER #20, by Clutch and Nicole Georges. Their latest split zine gives you daily strips that cover May 1 - 14, 2011, and features such thrillers as: Toronto Trip, Expensive Vet Bill, and Raccoon Infestation, plus more. This one is a lot of fun. 32 pages in blue ink, 7" x 7"; a steal at only $2.00.
►NEW! -- COLIBRI #4: The new issue of this Spanish anthology features all work IN ENGLISH or subtitled, so don't be afraid to check it out! Cool new work by international artists such as Sergi Puyol, Martin Romero, Alexis Nolla, Chema Peral, John Broadley, Albert Aromir, Martin Erusten, and many more! 64 pages, 4.75" x 6.25", full color covers and interiors, OUT OF STOCK.
MARK CONNERY is a longtime Canadian zine artist. He's been producing his strange little books at least since the early 90's. His Rudy series is a zine/comix classic. Marc Bell's Half World Books imprint is now publishing some of his work. The first volume is listed below:
MELAMINE CAR BOMB by Mark Connery (Half World Books): Wild, scattered doodle art and word salad imagery fill this new collection of Mark's work; with a lovely afterword by editor Marc Bell. "... a punk rock hippy-dippy mellow nightmare made of words and weirdoes and warnings..." 48 pages, 5.25 x 7.25 inches, color covers/b+w interiors; numbered edition of 350; $10.00.
For more MARK CONNERY, see also NOG A DOD (Marc Bell, above)
GABRIEL CORBERA draws comix.
►NEW! -- MONDAY SUICIDE by Gabriel Corbera (Space Face): A glasses-wearing geometric man lives in a futuristic society inhabited by aliens, rifles, scary monsters, and women with large breasts. 28 digest pages, full-color covers, b+w interiors; $6.00. ONLY ONE LEFT!
JOSH COTTER is the author of the acclaimed Skycrapers of the Midwest and Driven By Lemons.
JOSH COTTER is the author of the acclaimed Skycrapers of the Midwest and Driven By Lemons.
►NEW! - SKYSCRAPERS OF THE MIDWEST by Josh Cotter (AdHouse Books): Observing the isolated existence of an adolescent cat, his younger brother and their overactive imaginations in the American Heartland, Skyscrapers of the Midwest serves as an intimate chronicle of their stories of childhood hope, panic and loss. Filled with belligerent cowboys, lumbering automaton deities and wide-open spaces, this comic gives voice to a highly respected new creator in the field of sequential literature. 288 pages, 6" x 9", hardcover; $20.00.
CYCLOPS is a fantastic anthology from Conundrum Press, covering the diversity of the Montreal underground comics scene. It features such great artists as Michel Rabagliati, Billy Mavreas, Bernie Mireault, Hélène Brosseau, Jimmy Beaulieu, Marc Bell, Peter Thompson, Line Gamache, and many more. All in English, many for the first time! 224 pages, $17.00 -- NOW: $12.75!
Line Gamache, from Cyclops.
KEN DAHL is the pseudonym of Gabby Schulz, which is the pseudonym of.... ???? In any case Gabby makes amazing, funny, angry and heartfelt comics that belie his punk rock soul. One of the best cartoonists going.
MONSTERS by Ken Dahl (Gabby Schulz): This amazing book delves into the personal side of a disease few people want to discuss-- Herpes-- in a brutally honest, yet side-splittingly funny way. While accurately rendering the emotional swings of dealing with chronic illness-- its profound effect on the individual as well as all those around them, their relationships, self-confidence, and self-perception-- Schulz has pulled off the seemingly-impossible: this book had me laughing out loud. "Part fiction, part deranged educational film strip, Monsters explores the physical and emotional traumas of an STD that affects no two people the same. Dahl cements his status among the best cartoonists of his generation with this brutally sincere account of disease and self-acceptance." (Secret Acres). One of the best books of recent years. 212 pages, 7" x 7", perfect-bound; $18.00.
►NEW! -- WELCOME TO THE DAHL HOUSE by Ken Dahl (Microcosm): "Alienation, Incarceration, and Inebriation in the new American Rome." The collected 1997-2007 comics of Ken Dahl include such stories as airport security, the demeaning experience of being arrested, having to sell off his earthly possessions at a yard sale to pay the slumlord, the creative process of trying to write comics about "important" subjects, and much more. Additionally, we are treated to helpful guides to putting bananas in your cereal, peeing in the shower, and swinging at night. Savagely funny, and a 2006 Ignatz Winner! 128 pages, 5.5" x 7", b+w with color covers; $9.00.
DARK TOMATO #1 by Sakura Maku (Domino Books). "'Prince Tamlin Tomato is a unionized subway driver for the MTA. She drives the Irifune Machi line, the local, from Jamaica Queens, to the LES to Coney Island....' So begins Sakura Makus mini-epic DARK TOMATO." Hallucinogenic urban tales told in a frenetic painted/collage-based style. 24 oversized pages, color covers, b+w interiors; $5.00.
LUDOVIC DEBEURME is one of the lights of international cartooning. Lucille is his first work to be published in English.
►NEW! - LUCILLE by Ludovic Debeurme (Top Shelf): With Lucille, Ludovic Debeurme takes on the difficult world of adolescence, following the life of a young anorexic woman and the difficult relationships she has with others, who have significant problems of their own. Influenced by psychoanalysis and the exploration of dreams, Debeurme explores life and fantasies with elegant clean graphics and a profound love of the games of childhood. 544 pages, hardcover, 6.5" x 9", two color interiors (mostly b+w); 50% OFF! List price: $30.00, you pay: $15.00!
JOE DECIE is a newer British cartoonist whose charming and slightly twisted takes on everyday life are brilliantly drawn and inkwashed. After much ado, I've finally got in his excellent Blank Slate debut, The Accidental Salad... plus his new Retrofit release. (He's also a regular contributor to Not My Small Diary...)
►NEW! - THE ACCIDENTAL SALAD by Joe Decie (Blank Slate): This is a great selection of Joe Decie's weird, everyday musings and absurdist ramblings. Drawn in an impeccable inkwash style, The Accidental Salad is a throughly enjoyable collection of funny, smart, and heartfelt comics. (PDF Preview here.) Highly recommended. 9" x 11" pages with French flaps, gorgeous color cover with b+w interiors; $8.00.
►NEW! -- POCKET FULL OF COFFEE (Retrofit): This delightful look at everyday domestic life is autobiographical except when it's lying. Rendered in Decie's hand-drawn but detailed, photographic greywash style, Pocket Full of Coffee is a great introduction to his work. 32 digest pages, color covers, b+w interiors; $5.00. ONLY TWO LEFT! WRITE FIRST TO CONFIRM AVAILABILITY! After that it's out of print...
MICHAEL DEFORGE is one of the most talented young cartoonists around. His artwork evokes shades of Harkham and Huizenga, but his voice is distinctly his own. Funny, weird, and sad.
►NEW! - KID MAFIA #1 By Michael DeForge. This self-published mini tells the hilarious and horrific story of a gang of teen mafioso led by long-haired, teen-stached metalhead Franco DeMeo. In the debut issue we meet our protagonists as they go about their teen-centered mob-based world. Essential. 36 pages, 5.5." x 6.5", b+w; OUT OF STOCK
►NEW! - KID MAFIA #2 By Michael DeForge. Sophomore issue goes deeper into the individual lives of our child mobsters-- Franco's fucking his friend's mom, while his buddies Speck and Cary discuss tattoos before being the targets of a drive-by. 28 pages, 5.5" x 5.5"; OUT OF STOCK.
JOE DECIE is a newer British cartoonist whose charming and slightly twisted takes on everyday life are brilliantly drawn and inkwashed. After much ado, I've finally got in his excellent Blank Slate debut, The Accidental Salad... plus his new Retrofit release. (He's also a regular contributor to Not My Small Diary...)
MICHAEL DEFORGE is one of the most talented young cartoonists around. His artwork evokes shades of Harkham and Huizenga, but his voice is distinctly his own. Funny, weird, and sad.
Preview Kid Mafia #1 here.
►NEW! BACK IN PRINT! -- LOSE #2 by Michael DeForge (Koyama Press). A strange, brilliant story of two kids in the forest who stumble onto extreme weirdness. Perfect! 24 comic-sized pages, b+w interiors with full color cover, glossy paper; $5.00.
►NEW! BACK IN PRINT! -- LOSE #3 by Michael DeForge (Koyama Press). The latest issue of Deforge's one-man anthology features Tongue Fads, the surreal "Improv Night," and the lengthy heart-tugging "Dog 2070." Plus: awesome ant comix and LOTS more. 36 comic-sized pages, color cover/b+w interior; $5.00.
Above: two spreads from Lose #4.
MAX DeRADIGUÈS is everyone's Belgian comics buddy. A former CCS Fellow, Max now bounces around the world making his charming, and moving, comics. Chuck Forsman's Oily has now taken over production of his great series, Moose, a beautiful and sad story of childhood bullying. Most issues also feature a page by a special guest artist, like Charles Forsman, Domitille Collardey, Arne Bellstorf. Highly recommended.
MOOSE #10 by Max De Radiguès (Oily Comics): Hunter and hunted; with fan art by John Porcellino. 12 mini-sized pages, b+w; $1.00.
JO DERY is an artist who experiments with storytelling. Her works include animated films and videos, drawings, prints, illustration, installation projects, and artist/small-press book publications. The great Little Otsu of Portland has published a number of titles with her.
QUIETLY SURE, LIKE THE KEEPER OF A GREAT SECRET by Jo Dery: A series of designerly stories weave an interconnected tale of Nature mysticism, featuring the moon, a spider, spectavled bears, and a curious hunter. 94 pages, full color covers, blue ink interiors, 4" x 6"; $11.00.
For more JO DERY, see also LIVING THINGS
►NEW! - DIAMOND COMICS #5 (Floating World): The House Anthology of Portland's Floating World Comics is a nicely printed newsprint tabloid featuring some of the best and edgiest comics around. This issue includes new work from Michael DeForge, Benjamin Marra, Derek Ballard, Panayiotis Terzis, and many others, ALL IN FULL COLOR. 28 tabloid pages, full color; Only $3.00!
Above: three spreads from Diamond Comics #5.
►NEW! - DIY MAGIC by Anthony Alvarado (Floating World): This excellent guidebook to reality, consciousness, and inner states, in which mind-expanding topics are treated with a light, down-to-earth touch, features chapters on automatic writing, yoga, intuition, lucid dreaming, synchronicity, fasting, and much much more. The illustrations are provided by the cream of today's comix crop: Tommi Musturi, Ines Estrada, Aidan Koch, Dunja Jankovic, Ron Rege Jr., Conor Stechschulte, and many others. "These are "PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS by which the reader may coax the EXTRAORDINARY from the everyday -- and from themselves." 180 digest pages, text w/illustrations; $14.00. Try it, you'll like it!
