Alternative, off-the-path, under-the-radar... comix

Bogart

Jacobkosh wrote: »

Another good oldie: The Adventures of Luther Arkwright and its sequel Heart of Empire. Talbot's a gorgeous artist and Arkwright, which came out in the late-70s/early-80s, was heavily influential on a generation of UK artists and writers - guys like Moore, Gaiman, and Morrison. It's pretty awesome action sci-fi with a heady dash of 70s pop psychedelia and mysticism.

His latest, Alice in Sunderland, is a stunning piece of work.

Dave Sim's new book, Glamourpuss, has just come out. Whatever you may think about his politics, he's one of the best comics artists of all time and, for my money, easily the best letterer of all time.

Garth Ennis's Dan Dare relaunch is pretty damn good.

My nine-year old nephew loved Mouseguard so much my grandparents caught him reading it by torchlight under the covers past midnight over Christmas.

Jacobkosh

I hear Glamourpuss isn't really a story so much as an illustrated essay about romance comic artists, though. I'll imagine I'll still read it eventually.

Bogart

Jacobkosh wrote: »

I hear Glamourpuss isn't really a story so much as an illustrated essay about romance comic artists, though. I'll imagine I'll still read it eventually.

That's pretty much it, except it's not really coherent enough to be called an essay. More just stuff that Sim's jotted down in a notebook. Still, glorious art is glorious art, and Sim manages to make lightboxed copies of Vogue shoots seem interesting.

DouglasDanger

So has anyone read the new/redone Amazing Joy Buzzards vol 1? It was pushing back my whole order on Amazon, so I took it off the order and will be ordering it from my LCS.

Sars_Boy

is it out?

if it's out I am going to be mad because I have no money

I haven't even read Casanova 14 yet D:

DouglasDanger

Amazing Joy Buzzards Volume 1: Here Come The Spiders supposedly came out May 7

Just in case anyone is lurking or whatever and is not up to speed, Smith and Hipp are re-doing the trade paperbacks of Amazing Joy Buzzards, rearranging things and other stuff. There are old trades available, but the one I am talking about is the new trade. The second new trade is not out yet. Looking at this on Amazon can lead to confusion.

Amazing Joy Buzzards Volume 2: Monster Love is the new second volume and is not out yet. It is coming out in late July, according to Amazon.

Balefuego

Is anyone else reading Terry Moore's Echo?

Iroh

Balefuego wrote: »

Is anyone else reading Terry Moore's Echo?

Considered it, but I was so let down by the last pocketbook of Strangers in Paradise that I'm not excited enough to buy it yet.

How is it so far?

DouglasDanger

The new AJB Volume One: HERE COME THE SPIDERS is all done and turned in. Just to remind you, this IS reprinted material, but it IS a new, remastered version of it. The entire book is re-lettered, re-framed and re-designed. There ARE new pages in it, and new dialogue bits, meant to frame the book as it's own graphic novel and set up the next book (coming this fall). So while the content is generally the same, it will read differently. I consider this the ULTIMATE version, that will look consistent with the next book. I'm REALLY pleased with the finished package and DO recommend pre-ordering it if you haven't already (shame on you!).

Dan Hipp's blog is a good thing

Sagroth

After 10 years, Rob Schrab finally finished Scud: The Disposable Assassin with a 4 issue miniseries.

It friggin rocked.

I'm also diggin Jim Butcher's Dresden Files comic miniseries so far.

DouglasDanger

All of Scud is supposedly being collected in a giant omnibus that is allegedy selling for like 20 bucks. I am waiting for that to come out. Trying to pare down my singles because they are awkward to store.

DouglasDanger

Stokoe's Wonton Soup was really awesome and crazy.

Johnny Boyo could have had it all. Women. Money. Fame. As one of the premiere chefs in the galaxy, Johnny's culinary skills could have made him a star. So with everything he ever dreamed of his for the taking, why would Johnny leave it all behind to become a space trucker? Not even Citrus Watts, the girl he left behind, knows for sure. With the sizzle of life in the kitchen behind him, things were going okay for Johnny. Now after years out of the catering scene, Johnny and his pal Deacon are about to find themselves in water hotter than anything they've ever seen before! Johnny will once again have to pick up the whisk and skillet, but will his eroded skills be enough to get them out of the craziest cook-off in the Universe? And what good is a spatula against space ninjas?

(amazon summary)

I really enjoyed the art and the story equally. Space Trucker Iron Chef in Space.

DeMoN

Best thread ever. Sadly I can't recommend anything myself.

That's your job.

grendel824_

In my quick scroll-through, I didn't notice any Chris Ware - so his Acme Novelty Library and/or Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Boy On Earth are definitely worth checking out.

Servo

if you like being sad forever

Red or Alive

Jimmy Corrigan is specifically designed to break the spirit of the person reading it.

EDIT: Chris Ware is quite possibly History's Greatest Monster.

Jacobkosh

I admire the ACME Novelty Library from a holy shit this guy is a genius perspective - they're incredible objects, just flat out amazing to look at and hold - but Ware has a view of human life that I find frankly loathsome.

ZombieAsuma

What's so loathsome? I've never heard of the guy before.

Munch

TehChowd wrote: »

Also, Munch, if you're into lighter, slice of life stuff, then I would recommend checking out Harvey Pekar's "American Splendor", at least the first volume or so (if you haven't already that is). It's a collection of short, autobio comics about this hilariously cranky and brutally honest guy. Sometimes it's a little overwrought, but overall I loved it.

I sometimes feel like an awful comic fan because I've read so little of Pekar's work. I've checked out American Splendor from my local library like, ten times, and each time I get a few pages into it and then forget to read it. One day I'll have to sit down and really force myself to get into it.

Let me also second your recommendation for I Killed Adolf Hitler. Or hell, pretty much anything by Jason. Anytime I want to read something that's a little soul crushing, but also forces me to step back and appraise my life to appreciate all that I have, I turn to Jason. Why Are You Doing This? is probably my favorite thing he's done.

It's the story of Alex, a man that, following a rough break up, becomes something of a recluse in his apartment. Forced to go water the plants of a vacationing friend, Alex to unwittingly becomes involved in a murderous conspiracy when he spies the face of a killer in the building across from his friend's apartment. As Alex flees, and people around him start turning up dead, Alex must discover what the killer's after, or as he puts it, "Why are you doing this?" It's a very Hitchcockian little story, and if that sounds like your kind of thing, think about purchasing it.

In other news, has everyone seen Tokyopop's completely bullshit contract for their newest talent search yet? If not, be sure to check out this blog post by Scott Pilgrim's Bryan Lee O'Malley. Basically, it's complete bullshit written in disarming "bro" speech.

DouglasDanger

ZombieAsuma wrote: »

What's so loathsome? I've never heard of the guy before.

Do a google search. He has amazing layouts and art and everything, but almost everything he draws is incredibly, soul-stompingly depressing.

Newtron

I occasionally read things from Image comics, and looking forward to seeing if Valiant Entertainment releases
anything good this year (specifically Archer & Armstrong and Ninjak). Virgin comics also looks like its got a decent future ahead of it to.

But thats as "alternative" as I get, I guess.

Red or Alive

DouglasDanger wrote: »

ZombieAsuma wrote: »

What's so loathsome? I've never heard of the guy before.

Do a google search. He has amazing layouts and art and everything, but almost everything he draws is incredibly, soul-stompingly depressing.

"Loathsome" really isn't the right word, though. He's not a repellant human being (my History's Greatest Monster comment aside). His work just endlessly dwells on the disappointments in life, making his books very hard to get through.

Sars_Boy

i'm rereading casanova again and a question just popped into my mind

what the fuck does XSM stand for?

Jacobkosh

Red or Alive wrote: »

"Loathsome" really isn't the right word, though. He's not a repellant human being (my History's Greatest Monster comment aside).

Have you looked at that sketchbook of his that they published a while back? It was fucked up. Lots of gorgeous life drawings of people eating at bars, that sort of thing, and then these angry margin notes like "NO NO YOU FUCKING SUCK AT THIS, YOU SHOULD KILL YOURSELF" and "THIS IS NOT LIFE, THIS IS SHIT".

He's just sort of the zenith of that whole Crumb/Joe Matt/Chester Brown super-neurotic self-loathing obsessive thing, and I'm really really tired of that whole scene. Their views of human life are so epically jaundiced that they basically cross the line into self-parody.

Delduwath

The thing about Chris Ware is that his dad skipped out on his mom when she was in the hospital giving birth to him ("him" being Chris Ware). He only met his dad once, when he was already an adult, and his dad died before any sort of anything even remotely close to reconciliation might have happened. I'm willing to believe that something like this would fuck a dude up.

At the same time, yeah, I'm generally a pretty happy and pleased-with-life-dude, but after reading several pages of anything made by Ware, I literally want to cry. I've picked up "Jimmy Corrigan, the Smartest Kid on Earth" three separate times, each time being able to read only a few dozen pages before having to put it away to look at something happier (like maybe a snuff film).

Whatever may be said of the emotional content of his work, I think Ware's art style is absolutely amazing. I've never seen comic book panels approached in the way he does it. When I get home from work, I'll see if I can scan something.

tombomb666

Sars_Boy wrote: »

i'm rereading casanova again and a question just popped into my mind

what the fuck does XSM stand for?

This is a quote from issue 10 page 4.

"Doctor Israel Benday, founder of x super mechanix, a multi-disciplinary group lending material, informational, and financial support to criminals and terror organizations around the world.
The X stands for whatever the specific division specializes in: there's R.S.M., W.S.M., I.S.M., A.S.M., and so on. Like the slogan says 'The X doesn't stand for anything-- it stands for everything.' "


"This is his boy, Kubark. Anybody know what "Kubark" means?"

Servo

Munch wrote: »

In other news, has everyone seen Tokyopop's completely bullshit contract for their newest talent search yet? If not, be sure to check out this blog post by Scott Pilgrim's Bryan Lee O'Malley. Basically, it's complete bullshit written in disarming "bro" speech.

jeeeeeesus, that's some hardcore grade-a b.s.

Munch

I really love the part about them still owning the international media rights to your pitch even if they don't pick it up. It's so apt that they refer to the agreement as a "pact." It's like they're trying to make the whole affair sound as sinister as possible.

Also, looking back at my first post I see I was so incensed that I used a variation of the phrase "complete bullshit" twice in just two sentences.

Red or Alive

Jacobkosh wrote: »

Red or Alive wrote: »

"Loathsome" really isn't the right word, though. He's not a repellant human being (my History's Greatest Monster comment aside).

Have you looked at that sketchbook of his that they published a while back? It was fucked up. Lots of gorgeous life drawings of people eating at bars, that sort of thing, and then these angry margin notes like "NO NO YOU FUCKING SUCK AT THIS, YOU SHOULD KILL YOURSELF" and "THIS IS NOT LIFE, THIS IS SHIT".

He's just sort of the zenith of that whole Crumb/Joe Matt/Chester Brown super-neurotic self-loathing obsessive thing, and I'm really really tired of that whole scene. Their views of human life are so epically jaundiced that they basically cross the line into self-parody.

I was not aware of this.

Sars_Boy

that is fucking horrible, munch

grendel824_

Also, one of my old favorites is being collected in the next couple of months - Zot!

Jacobkosh

Zot is awesome. You must be elderly like me if you remember it, though.

Balefuego

So I read the 2nd and 3rd issues of Echo today

and it is pretty goddamn rad

DouglasDanger

King City arrived today. I don't think I have ver read anything like it before. It was really wild and kind of goofy in a good way. The man storyline is kind of weak, but I guess there is going to be at least one more volume, so maybe this was meant to serve as an introduction to everything. The setting and everything is really fleshed out and it is one of the most unique settings I've ever seen.

I finally got Scott Pilgrim vol 1 too. Man, O'Malley has really grown as an artist since he started this.

Munch

Yeah, for me King City was more about the environment and characters than the story. You've got a guy who uses his cat as a living weapon, a special hotel built just for spies, a man trying to hide away an aquatic girl before she's sold into sexual slavery, a veteran of the great zombie chainsaw wars slowly turning himself into the very drug he's addicted to, and the sad-eyed ex-girlfriend of the Cat Master that runs around town painting moustaches on billboards.

I viewed it more as a series of character driven vignettes than a single cohesive story.

WIckedkarma

This is a very under the radar comic thats worth every cent if you can find it.

Its called Creature Tech ( from Top Shelf Productions, 2002, ISBN 1-891830-34-1)

"Good battles evil, and the world hangs in the balance! Resurrected by the Shroud of Turin, the zombified Dr. Jameson intends to finish what he started 150 years ago - destroying the earth with a giant space eel. Standing in his way is Dr. Ong, a would-be pastor-turned-scientist who now works in a government research facility infamously known as 'Creature Tech.' Aided by an unlikely cast of rednecks, symbiotic aliens, and a CIA-trained mantid, Dr. Ong embarks on a journey of faith, love, and self-discovery. All in a day's work at Creature Tech!"


Its a GN from the guy who created EarthWorm Jim and I really really cant recommend it enough. The art work is fantastic, the characters are very well designed, and portrayed and the story is very kick ass.

also read some SCUD =)

grendel824_

Jacobkosh wrote: »

Zot is awesome. You must be elderly like me if you remember it, though.

I'm 30 - is that elderly? I can't wait to consider myself an "old man" but I don't think I'm quite there yet. I read it back in high school, but I think it was all back issues when I got it. I've been reading comics since I was 2, so I'm going to also remember a bit more/earlier comics stuff than most people my age.

FeathersMcGraw

WIckedkarma wrote: »

Its called Creature Tech ( from Top Shelf Productions, 2002, ISBN 1-891830-34-1)

I love Doug TenNapel's stuff. I also recommend his Tommysaurus Rex.

Other books that I love that I push on anyone who will listen:

Phil and Kaja Foglio's Girl Genius. Great artwork, hilarious comedy, adventure, and a steampunk setting.

Gary Spencer Millidge's Strangehaven. The easiest analogy most people will recognize is Twin Peaks: an odd, insular, rural community where a number of distinctive characters live, and odd occurrences are commonplace. I recommend this even though the book is on hiatus, and Millidge seems to be focusing on other projects first, because the steady pace at which the conspiratorial storylines unwind makes for a fantastic read, even if you curse its lack of denouement.

Xeno's Arrow, by Greg Beettam and Stephen Geigen-Miller, is a story about a group of sentient beings escaping from a Galactic Zoo. Wacky adventures ensue.

Mark Schultz's Xenozoic Tales (aka Cadillacs and Dinosaurs). Beautiful artwork and storytelling in the grand tradition of the old pulp adventures. Think Land of the Lost without the campiness.

TravisLegge

I highly recommend Awakening by Nick Tapalansky and Alex Eckman-Lawn. It's probably the most unique presentation of zombies I've seen in recent memory. Here's a review of the first two issues!

DouglasDanger

Thanks for recommendations, everyone.