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In 1976, a fledgling magazine held forth the the idea that comics could be art. In 2016, comics intended for an adult readership are reviewed favorably in the New York Times, enjoy panels devoted to them at Book Expo America, and sell in bookstores comparable to prose efforts of similar weight and intent. We Told You So: Comics as Art is an oral history about Fantagraphics Books’ key role in helping build and shape an art movement around a discredited, ignored and fading expression of Americana. It includes appearances by Chris Ware, Art Spiegelman, Harlan Ellison, Stan Lee, Daniel Clowes, Frank Miller, and more.
Dual graphic narratives by the acclaimed Italian cartoonist demonstrate how the choices our ancestors made dramatically affect generations to come. Silvano Landi is a successful writer who, at the age of 50, sees his family leave him and his life fall apart. Landi's great-grandfather, Mauro, is an anxious soldier being fed to the maw of carnage in the First World War. Alternating between past and present, a psych ward and the bloody trenches, and told through complex clues ― a lone gas station, an apathetic baroness, found love letters, and shifting from scratchy black-and-white to lush watercolors (sometimes on the same page), One Story documents the origins of pain that serve as the roots of a twisted family tree, and allows the reader to trace the branches.
This highly anticipated new graphic novel from Manuele Fior (The Interview and 5,000 KM Per Second) showcases his singular talents as a once-in-a-generation visual artist and a deeply empathetic writer who uses science fiction to look to the future of humanity. The “Great Invasion” originated from the sea. It moved north across the mainland. Many fled, while some took refuge on a small concrete island called Celestia, built over a thousand years ago. Now cut off from the mainland, Celestia has become an outpost for criminals and other misfits, as well as a refuge for a group of young telepaths. Events push two of them, Dora and Pierrot, to flee the island and set sail to the mainland. There, they discover a world on the precipice of a metamorphosis, though also a world where adults are literally prisoners of their own fortresses, unintentionally preserving the “old world” at a time when a new generation could guide society towards a better humanity. Celestia is the most ambitious and successful graphic novel to date by one of the world’s most exciting storytellers.
Uses a comic book format to shed light on the complex and emotionally-charged situation of Palestian Arabs, exploring the lives of Israeli soldiers, Palestian refugees, and children in the Occupied Territories.
A local medical expert and sheriff are summoned to investigate a strange sighting that sets the stage for Conor Stechschulte’s debut graphic novella: a severed human head that still seems to be talking. We flashback to a pair of butchers who arrive at work one morning to find not only that there is no meat in their shop but also that they have forgotten completely how to do their job. As customers arrive, they are too fearful for their livelihood to admit their dilemma, leading to increasingly disastrous events. But what has caused their strange amnesia? This often hilarious, enigmatic and uncomfortable book will establish Stechschulte as an exciting new talent.
Cult cartoonist Dave Cooper returns to comics with this suite of stories about brain-damaged Amazons, black shiny eels, and much more. This is the first new graphic novel by fan favorite Dave Cooper in more than 15 years Eddy Table, the star of Mudbite, first appeared in Cooper’s award-winning underground comics series, Weasel. Mudbitecompiles two all-new Eddy Table stories, “Mud River” and “Bug Bite,” in which Eddy acts as Dave’s alter ego. In “Mud River,” Eddy makes a foolish mistake, causing a sweet, innocent Amazon to bonk her head, turning her into a very impressionable automaton. In “Bug Bite,” Eddy has brought his family on a vacation to Europe, but he’s soon distracted by a series of manifestations of his own obsessions ― voluptuous women, mysterious and collectible “microdevices,” and a strange, impromptu jam session.
This is the first in a two-volume retrospective―collecting full comics stories, unpublished art, ads, etc.―and biography of the famous Mad cartoonist. This is the first of two volumes reprinting copious amounts of comics stories and recounting the career of cartoonist Basil Wolverton. Based on his correspondence and journals, the biographical portion of the books follow Wolverton from childhood to adult day-to-day life as freelance cartoonist, itinerant handyman, persistent contest enterer, and local pastor of the Radio Church of God. Wolverton lived and worked in the Pacific Northwest, unique among the first generation of comic book pioneers. In the precious period before the industry calcified into a commercial institution, Wolverton was free to work under the radar to explore in detail his weird tales of the future. The book collects all of Wolverton’s non-humorous comic stories and a substantial selection of his humorous comics, alongside dozens of pages of unpublished artwork, unsold features, and never-before-seen correspondence, including rejection letters!
This sophomore graphic novel from Noah Van Sciver may seem like a left turn from his critically acclaimed debut graphic novel biography of Abraham Lincoln (The Hypo), yet upon closer reflection, it showcases Van Sciver’s preoccupation with pathos and the human condition. Saint Cole depicts four days in the life of a twenty-eight-year-old suburbanite named Joe, who works at a pizzeria to support his girlfriend Nicole and their infant child―and then Nicole invites her troubled mother to move into their two-bedroom apartment until she lands on her feet again. Joe reacts by retreating into alcohol: he wants out, and he's angry. He’s in a position to act rashly―and he does.
This book includes all of the cartoonist's work from Zap Comix #12 through #15; stories published in the horror anthology Taboo; the three appearances of his outrageous, race-bending character Meadows from Weirdo; illustrations for Grimm and Andersen fairy tales; as well as book jackets and album covers. Plus, dozens of privately commissioned paintings, including the Seven Deadly Sins (Just Say Yes!) and inner landscapes peopled with pirates, ogres, leprechauns, Cyclops, the Baby Jesus, and his favorites players, Captain Pissgums, Star-Eyed Stella, and the Checkered Demon. It also includes an even score of remarkably rendered paintings, both unpublished and virtually unseen, that he created between the 2006 publication of The Art of S. Clay Wilson and The Night the Lights Went Out in 2008, when Wilson’s career spiraled out of control.
The comic strip has been a staple of American newspapers for nearly a century. It is a creation unique to cultural life and, in addition to entertainment, has commented on the way we see and view ourselves. From its high culture influence on Pop Art to its low culture appeal to children of all ages, the comic strip has had a lasting hold on the imaginations of generations. Noted writer Donald Phelps provides essays on popular classics, such as Chester Gould's Dick Tracy, E.C. Segar's Thimble Theatre (which produced Popeye), and Frank King's Gasoline Alley. His keen eye discerns the sublime qualities of this most American art form with wit and refreshing candor. Reading the Funnies offers an elegant and eloquent look into this fascinating slice of American popular culture.