YOSHIHIRO TATSUMI is one of the fathers of modern Japanese comics, his work being crucial in the development of gekiga, a term Tasumi himself coined to distinguish his art from that aimed at more juvenile readers. Drawn and Quarterly has produced a number of beautiful Tatsumi collections, including A Drifting Life, his autobiography.
THREE is Robert Kirby's new Queer Comix anthology. Each issue features three new stories by a variety of artists and writers.
THREE #1 edited by Robert Kirby. Robert "Boy Trouble" Kirby's new queer comics anthology features three great comics stories by Eric Orner (about a gay non-Hebrew-speaking Jewish-American in Israel); Joey Alison Sayers (about finding a place to pee while on a landscaping job); and Kirby himself, with a poetic tale of Almost Leaving. Like all of Robert's efforts, this is really well done and human. 36 half-legal pages, full color inside and out! $6.25. ONLY A FEW LEFT!
►NEW! -- THREE #2 edited by Robert Kirby. The brand new issue features a Last Love in Town tale by Sina "Evil" Shamsavari and Jon Macy, a Cowboy Love and Heartbreak jam by Craig Bostick and David Kelly, and the Unlikeliest Love Triangle you can imagine, in a jam by Jennifer Camper and Michael Fahy. Great stuff. 36 half-legal pages, full color throughout; $6.25.
►NEW! -- TOOTH: THE GRAPHIC ART OF DALE FLATTUM (La Mano 21): This new collection is a comprehensive look at the art of longtime underground artist Dale Flattum, whose brilliantly satiric, weird, and just plain beautiful xerographic work has graced album covers and flyers since the 80's. A longtime musician (Steelpole Bathtub, etc) Dale's work has become a mainstay of the Minneapolis scene, and beyond. This book is a must-have for anyone interested in the history of underground music, art, and/or xerography. Comes with a 72 minute CD compilation of his music. 256 full-size pages in eye-popping black and white, with CD; $20.00."When I was 16 years old, I tore a weird looking poster off of a telephone pole near my house. It was crudely assembled, cheaply reproduced, and probably the greatest thing I'd ever seen.
Later when I started to play music, the poster for the show became almost as important as the show itself. It was proof that something had happened. It was subversive propaganda. It was fun. It was addicting. And what did you need to do it? Scissors? Glue? A Xerox machine? An 8.5 x 11 piece of paper turned out to be a very powerful thing.
It was like finding a machine gun in your sock drawer.
The possibilities were endless." -- Dale Flattum
Above: TOOTH: The Graphic Art of Dale Flattum
►NEW! -- TROOP 142 by Mike Dawson (Adhouse): Classic cartooning and storytelling-- "Troop 142 follows a group of campers and counselors at a week-long scout retreat in the woods of New Jersey. It is a story as much about adults as it is adolescents, the blurred line between childhood and manhood, and the consequences of authoritative posturing. Dispensing with idyllic notions, Dawson describes the hilarious and brutal truths about boys and men, the hypocrisy of institutional morality and the resilience of Spam and the human spirit." 268 pages, b+w interiors, 6" x 9"; $20.00.
TRUTH BE KNOWN by Maximum Traffic: In the 1990's White Buffalo Gazette founder Max Traffic celebrated the 25th Anniversary and 200th issue of his long running obscuro art zine with this giant compendium that serves as sort of psychedelic autobiography intercut with old work by him and his colleagues. The net result is a fascinating look at the history of Max's ideals, as well as one important branch of the "Newave/Obscuro" comics scene. Feature's Max's mind-blowing psychedelic collage art, as well as comics and collaborations with such underground legends as Steve Willis, Edward Bolman, Mike Hill, Clark Dissmeyer, Joel Orff, Chad Woody, Mark Campos, Delaine, and more. 200 full-size pages, black and white, perfect bound; only $10.00.
This book is so sprawling, I thought I'd include a variety of images...
UNICORN MOUNTAIN is an arts collective/publisher out of Pittsburgh. The Black Forest is their latest anthology release.
The Black Forest: This eclectic arts anthology features comics, painting, poetry, prose, photography, and drawing from a wide range of creators. Subtitled "A Collection of Art, Comics and Folktales From Western Pennsylvania and Beyond," it features comics work by such luminaries as Rina Ayuyang, Sam Gaskin, Juliacks, Frank Santoro, and a full color comic by Theo Ellsworth (Capacity). My favorite was "Adventures With Lesser-Known Creatures " by Jen Cooney, a compendium of weird and delightful cryptozoology. 232 pages, color and b+w interiors, $25.00.
Above: pages from The Black Forest.
►NEW! -- UNWELCOME GUESTS by Gottschalk: I came across this delightfully strange comic at Madison Zine Fest and quickly snatched some up for the catalog. Slow-paced, deliberate dialogues between deadpan characters give us two stories of love and lust, sexual mystery, and human longing. Unlike anything I've read before, these comics out of left-field are compelling and unique. 20 full-sized pages, color covers, b+w interiors; $3.50.
US IN A BOX by Spovatar W.B. Phlecender. This spontaneous, tag-team effort was created on a whim by Candian comics luminaries Chester Brown and David Lapp, under a pseudonym. Includes Donut Sex. Disgusting Fly, Dracula Love, Crazy Box, Cute Young Women, Bad Doggie, and more. 12 digest pages, with color covers; signed (by "S.W.B.P.") and numbered edition of 100; SOLD OUT.
NOAH VAN SCIVER is a young Denver cartoonist who seems to channel the spirit of the old undergrounds. That's not to say his comics are a nostalgia act-- they are all up-to-date with the modern world-- but they have that self-deprecating, absurdist take on urban struggle, squalor, and grittiness that the classic undergrounds had. Blammo documents the big dreams of a talented and driven misfit who has had work published in Mome and the Comics Journal, as well as on the Top Shelf site. For more sample pages click here.
#4 Naked Guy, Mercy, Denver Spider Man (one of his best comics), Chicken Strips, Bad Dream, Bob Dylan, The Life of a Cartoonist, The End of an Artist's Career (another great one), letters and more. 28 comic-sized pages, full color covers, SOLD OUT.
#6: This recent issue features Nasty Bob Dylan, Punks vs Lizards, and much much more, including an exclusive John Porcellino comic-strip! 32 comic-sized pages, $4.00.
From Blammo #7
NOAH NOVELLA: Nice digest sized collection of some of Noah's auto-bio strips from Blammo and elsewhere. "Funny stuff!" 28 digest pages, full color cover, $4.00. SOLD OUT.
Spread from Noah Novella.
THE DEATH OF ELIJAH LOVEJOY by Noah Van Sciver. In his latest release, Noah presents an historical rendering of the martyrdom of publisher and abolitionist Elijah Lovejoy, drawn in his dense, beautiful crosshatchy style. Noah is working on a book-length biography of Abraham Lincoln, called The Hypo, and this can be considered an adjunct to that work. Powerful stuff. 32 pages, 7.25" x 4.75", full color covers, 2-color end-papers, handprinted by Zak Sally at La Mano. $5.00.
►NEW! -- 1999 by Noah Van Sciver (Retrofit). At last, new Van Sciver! Retrofit gives us this excellent tale of a lonely misfit who discovers love at a sub shop, only to find his world crashing down as Y2K arrives. 1999 is the strongest comic Noah has released yet, and it's sure to be on my Best of 2012 list. NOTE: I heard through the grapevine that this comic is already out of print, so get your copies while they last! 32 digest pages, two color cover, b+w interiors; $5.00.
JULIA WERTZ is one of my favorite cartoonists of recent times. When I first got her zines in the mail, and saw the title, "The Fart Party," I'll admit it-- I expected the worst. That's what made what i found even more special. Yes, her comics can be crude (especially her early ones), but they are also devastatingly funny, and once you begin sinking into her rhythms as a cartoonist you notice that there's some thing else going on-- a sweetness and heart that can be disguised by all the cussing. Julia is a natural born cartoonist-- she started out good and is getting better all the time.
►NEW! -- FART PARTY Vol. One (Atomic Books): This collections compiles Julia's early Fart Party zines into one handy book. Relentlessly black-humored and nutty, with lots of cuss words, bodily functions, and booze, this is one for the ages. 180 pages, two color covers, b+w interior; $14.00.
►NEW! -- Drinking at the Movies (Three Rivers Press): Julia's latest, stand-alone graphic novel, depicts her move from San Francisco to Brooklyn with humor, self-deprecation, and heart. You can really see her stretching here beyond her roots, successfully, with some exquisite drawings, and more non-ironic introspection than ever before. This was one of my favorite books of 2010. 196 pages, full color covers, b+w interior; $15.00. Highly recommended.
►NEW! -- YOU ARE A CAT! by Sherwin Tjia (Conundrum): This charming and fun book is based on the old "Choose Your Own Adventure" books of th 80's, where every page gives you a number of choices that decide how the story will continue. Except in this one, you're a cat. Visit the lonely old lady down the street, get trapped by delinquents, find a warm lap. The choice is up to you! Full of the dangers, affection, and intrigue of the feline life, this unique book will be thoroughly enjoyed by cat lovers everywhere. Includes phony ads for future volumes in the series in the back! 234 pages, 4" x 6", black and white illos on every other page; $17.00.
CHRIS WRIGHT's lovely, inky, scratchy, fuzzy and brilliant comics have been around for awhile. Here's Sparkplug's great collection:
►NEW! -- INKWEED by Chris Wright (Sparkplug). Chris Wright's inky, brilliant comics depict a quasi-victorian world of weary artists, lonesome scientists, drunks, and heartbroken women, with recurringthemes of love, loss, and obsession. His cartooning is intricately hatched, and indiosyncratic, with nods to the classic newpaper strips (Segar, et al), and his writing is intricate, old-fashioned, and right on. Highly recommended. 156 pages, 8.5" x 7", color covers, b+w interiors; $16.00.
YEARBOOKS by Nicholas Breutzman, Shaun Feltz, and Raighne Hogan (2D Cloud): Nicholas Breutzman teams with co-writer Shaun Feltz to tell an edgy tale of an outsider high school student and his tenuous relationships with a sketchy art teacher and a goth heartbreaker. Beautifully colored throughout by Raighne Hogan. 44 pages, 8" x 11", Full color throughout, with some b+w pages, perfetc-bound; $10.00.
YOUNG LIONS by Blaise Larmee. "So we're all agreed then, our conceptual art group is not going as planned..." So begins this elusive story about a group of jaded, young artists, who go to parties, listen to rap music, and join a prospective member on a trip to her home in Florida. Drawn in an ethereal un-inked pencil style, Young Lions is strange and liberating, unique, and ultimately moving. 98 perfect-bound digest-sized pages, with two-color covers and French flaps; $10.00. 
JENNY ZERVAKIS is one of my favorite cartoonists of all time, and one of my biggest influences/inspirations. This is the first issue of Strange Growths in 6 years! And it came not a moment too soon. I practically wept when I opened the envelope. Jenny's stories are vague and beautiful, with a gentle, dry humor runnng through them, and her art is perfectly scratchy and simple. This new issue features a couple soon to be Strange Growths classics, like Icebergs and Tell Us How You Really Feel. I know it cost Jenny a lotta dough to get this new one out, so please help support this great American artist!
Strange Growths #15: Iceberg, We Can Be Heroes, Tell Us How You Really Feel, Beach Trip, and May Is the Month of the Rose, plus much more! 24 digest pages, $3.00.
DAN ZETTWOCH: Part of the St. Louis/USS Catastrophe Crew, Dan Zettwoch's amazing, goofy, historic/schematic comics are a delight. Look for his new book from D+Q in 2012; meanwhile, here's his latest self-published effort:
►NEW! -- Tel-Tales #1: Dan draws one of his Dad's amusing stories from his days working at the telephone company in Louisville: a new kid on the job shows his psychic stuff when confronted with locating a short in the companies lines. If that sounds boring, it's absolutely not! This comics is amazing-- fun and funny, and full of the little details that make up a life well-observed. A tale of craftsmanship in the face of creeping obsolescence, Zettwoch makes the book itself a metaphor for this change: he uses actual hand-silkscreened punchcards from the company as covers, and adds a foldout center-spread that would be impossible to experience digitally. A true labor of love. 32 pages, hand-screened two-color covers, approx. 3" x 4"; only $3.00. SOLD OUT.
