Oh look at that, it’s Halloween. I should have picked a spooky comic to review, huh? Well, instead of that, you’re getting So Buttons #14 by Jonathan Baylis and friends. Maybe I’ll review something spooky for Thanksgiving instead…
Baylis, Jonathan – So Buttons #14
October 31, 2024
This feels like one of those comics that started off being about one thing, but then life happened and it ended up being about something else entirely. Probably his most emotionally devastating issue yet; it definitely hit me right between the eyes a few times. Oh hi, do you not know what this comic is? That’s OK, Jonathan writes these stories about his life while various comics people illustrate them. And, like the best autobio people, he has great stories to tell. This issue very much starts off as being about celebrities, as he tells his story of meeting Producer Gary from Howard Stern (and relaying the story of what that show was like on 9/11, which I’d never heard before, with Box Brown illustrating), his jealousy of his wife getting to meet Chester Brown before him (but finally ending with his own great moment, illustrated by T. J. Kirsch), his briefly meeting Jaime Hernandez and being at least mildly unimpressed with Love and Rockets (with art by Sophia Glock; everybody is entitled to their own opinion, even if it’s wrong), and having James Earl Jones give the commencement speech at his college (with art by CM Campbell). OK, I can’t help myself. Would Love and Rockets be so universally loved if they’d stopped after the initial 50 issues like they’d planned? Who knows, but the fact that they’ve kept it up for 40+ years and had the characters age and evolve as they have is something that unlikely to ever be matched in comics. And… hopping off my soapbox and back into the review. Apologies to all concerned. This is right at the midpoint of the comic, and it shifts from here into family stories, including trying to show his son the original Pinocchio movie, learning about the death of the man who’d been selling him comics for 40 years, saving a baby from choking and, in the real shift of the issue, the death of his mother. The rest of the stories involved her in ways great and small, and I was thoroughly impressed by how various stories used panels from others to illustrate how completely she was a part of his life. Like I said, it’s devastating stuff, and for what it’s worth I’m genuinely sorry for his loss. $10
Leave a Comment » | 
Reviews | Tagged: Ayoko Niko, Box Brown, CM Campbell, Jonathan Baylis, Karl Christian Krumpholz, Lisa Rosalie Eisenberg, MariNaomi, Nathaniel Breen, So Buttons, Sophia Glock, Steven Arnold, Summer Pierre, T.J. Kirsch | 
Permalink
Posted by Kevin
Update for 10/29/24
October 29, 2024New review today for the triumphant return of The Audra Show (#6) by Audra Stang! As you can tell from the previous sentence, I am very unbiased about this comic.
Leave a Comment » | Site News | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
Stang, Audra – The Audra Show #6
October 29, 2024
Very quickly after starting to read this issue, I realized that I made a mistake: I really should have gone back and reread the previous issues to refresh my brain, since my last review of Audra’s work was four years ago. Don’t get me wrong, she’s been busy, but you know how it is with trying to keep track of all comics at all times. Anyway, I went back and read some of my old reviews (I’m pretty much a snake eating its own tail at this point, but I’ve made peace with it), and now I’m mostly caught up! On the things I said about the comics. Eh, I’ll read them all again before the next issue when my life isn’t completely berserk. I’d obviously recommend that you read the previous issues before this one, as she jumps right into things, thankfully after the courtesy of a page spent briefly showing all of the characters. There are several named stories in this issue, but they all flow so seamlessly into each other that I’m not going to even try to differentiate them. Things start off with Owen having a deeply insecure dream on his train ride (going from how much Bea must hate him to Margaux trying to kill him), then we bounce over to Bea and Jonah working at the diner. Bea is more than a little disappointed at the fact that she’s been there for two years, and Jonah is baffled that she’s still doing the long distance thing with Owen. Then we spend some time with Owen and Bea as they both prepare for a date, and finally a lengthy story that starts off talking about how terrible “girl shows” are, but I’m not spoiling any more from the comic, as I’ve once again reached my arbitrary “I’ve said too much about the specifics of this comic” moment. I’d say this is her most solid issue yet, but since my memory of the previous issues is hazy, that’d be a stupid thing to say for sure, wouldn’t it? Check it out, if you already have the previous issues. If not, hey look, here’s a collected edition of the first six issues! What a great way to jump in, but don’t stall too long, as there aren’t that many copies out there. $6 for the issue, $25 for the collected version of all six.
Leave a Comment » | Reviews | Tagged: Audra Stang, The Audra Show | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
Update for10/25/24
October 25, 2024New review today for the triumphant return of Sugar Booger (#4) by Kevin Scalzo! Also with the election season heating up, is this the end of reviews for awhile? I sure hope not, and I’m going to try to sneak them in when I can, but we’ll see how it goes. I do want to mention that there’s a new issue of So Buttons out by Jonathan Baylis, which I’ll get to soon, but I’m mentioning it here as more of a general announcement. Happy weekend y’all!
Leave a Comment » | Site News | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
Scalzo, Kevin – Sugar Booger #4
October 25, 2024Website
I was surprised to see that it had been a decade since I reviewed one of these comics (and bereft to find out that I missed out on #3; if my memory wasn’t a flaming trash pile I would have grabbed one at CXC), but it turns out that this is the first issue in ten years, so I’m more or less on top of things after all. Also I feel obligated to link to this vinyl toy of Sugar Booger, which was one of the stars of the con for sure. Maybe one day I’ll go to one of those with unlimited funds, because I surely would have picked this one up otherwise. Anyway, it’s been ages since there’s been a new issue, what’s changed? Not a whole lot, and that’s exactly how it should be. Why mess with perfection? If you’re unfamiliar with the character/series, Sugar Booger is a… monster? creature? who mostly eats everything that the other creatures find, with hilarious and/or distressing results. This one starts with that pink creature showing Sugar Booger (who’s reclining on a clump of those peach colored creatures, who are seemingly delighted with the situation) a new type of candy. And, naturally, he eats it. Things seem to be going fine for a bit, until the inevitable rampage begins. One of the joys of these comics is the sheer level of detail; you can have a fine time just reading the story, but it’s packed with characters who don’t say a word but who are also drawn with enough specificity that you can imagine an entire backstory for them. His comics were always a hoot back in the day, and I’m thrilled to say that that hasn’t changed. Check it out, hop back on that Sugar Booger train! $10
Leave a Comment » | Reviews | Tagged: Kevin Scalzo, Sugar Booger | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
Update for 10/23/24
October 23, 2024New review today for bird comic. by Ruby Carter, and I also had a chance to talk to her publishers at CXC. They’re called Fieldmouse Press, they have many intriguing comics already available, and they have big plans on putting together a complete collection of Ariel Bordeaux’s work, among other things. Support them while buying yourself some quality comics, OK?
Leave a Comment » | Site News | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
Carter, Ruby – bird comic.
October 23, 2024
Would I usually use punctuation and no caps in the title for a comic I’d reviewed? Probably not, but that’s how Ruby consistently has it listed, and respect the artist, I always say! This is a collection of strips, maybe from previous comics (but I’m not seeing any evidence of that on her website) about various large and small crises, feelings of hopelessness and wondering if you even exist. Would you believe that it’s also sometimes funny? Because it is. Also personally, as a guy who just moved back to a town I lived in 20 years ago, the sampled comic hit me right between the eyes. Wisdom of the move is still uncertain, but that specific old feeling doesn’t seem to exist here anymore. But enough about me, this is meant to be about a comic. I’m stalling because this is one of those where I shouldn’t say everything about it, or even most things, because those things are always and forever best discovered by the reader. But this is the path I’ve chosen, so I’m stuck with it. If I’ve already intrigued you, stop here and just check it out. It’s delightful. Strips in here deal with aimless walks, regretting those drugs you took hours ago when people were still around, holding onto a good feeling, missing smoking, trying to and not to smoke weed, losing yourself in a crowded city landscape, successfully achieving brain freeze, zoning out to a good show only to eventually have it end, and rejecting the phone for a different screen. Please know that that sentence was typed with a cat’s head trying to bonk my hand off of the keyboard, and that I stopped typing several times for pets. I’m not a monster, after all. If you’ve had any existential questions in your life, give this one a shot. If you haven’t, you need to read more, and you should also give this a shot. $10
Leave a Comment » | Reviews | Tagged: Bird Comic, Ruby Carter | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
Update for 10/21/24
October 21, 2024Hey Champaign Illinois people, there are now 12 early voting locations open around the county! Other Illinois people, check your local County Clerk to find your options. Other states, good luck. Speaking of voting, the new review today is for You Win… When You Vote! by Resistbot. It’s actually made by a person, but they didn’t put their name in the comic, and I wanted to talk about voting today, so here we are.
Leave a Comment » | Site News | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
Resistbot – You Win… When You Vote!
October 21, 2024
You Win… When You Vote!
Well folks, we’ve reached the portion of the CXC review comic pile where I’m not at all sure where I got a comic in the first place, meaning I’m not sure who made it, also meaning that they didn’t put their name in the comic. Rookie mistake, comics person! I was all set to give you credit for this comic, but here we are. This comic is exactly what it looks like: a guide for likely voters, unlikely voters, convincing unlikely voters in your family/friend group, and all of the resources you’ll ever need to make the process as smooth as possible. I kept waiting for a punchline or a bit of cynicism, but it’s to ____’s credit that this stays exactly what it appears to be throughout. Longtime readers will know that I work in elections for a living, so it’s a subject near and dear to me, and also that I’m a member of a particular party, and you can guess which one if you ask yourself “what’s the only major political party left even slightly tethered to reality?” Yes it’s true, fence sitters, and you’re not getting to heaven any faster than anybody else by wasting your vote on a protest candidate. You also don’t get to stay “pure” while the rest of us are stuck in the mud you basic, simple child. It’s tempting to go off on a longer rant here, but that made my point well enough, I reckon. If you have questions about the voting process I’d recommend checking out this comic, or even better that linked website, which has everything you’ll ever need to learn about voting and then some. As far as how much this costs, this feels like the sort of thing handed out for free at events, but I’d guess $5 if you saw one in the wild.
Leave a Comment » | Reviews | Tagged: Resistbot, You Win When You Vote | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
Update for 10/17/24
October 17, 2024No time to chat, I’m writing this quickly over a lunch break. Why yes, it is the busy season, why do you ask? New review today for Bedhead by Presley Taylen!
Leave a Comment » | Site News | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
Taylen, Presley – Bedhead
October 17, 2024
Note: that link in the title goes nowhere at the moment, but they said “coming soon” for their online store, so I’m taking them at their word. Or you could just contact them at one of the many options on their website if you’re the impatient type. So this is a comic that really speaks to me, with the sample image below really summing things up: getting a good pillow. A few years ago I went on a similar quest myself, and I still have several different pillow types in my closet. Short answer: the Purple pillow was the winner for me. But that’s just advice, I’m meant to be talking about a comic here. Max and Mazey are doing laundry and the process ends up destroying Mazey’s pillows. She has a very specific type that she’s trying to find, Max destroys her illusions about there being any good pillows out there, and the bulk of the comic is a quest to find the exact type of pillow that she already owned as a replacement. Some funny stuff in here, including a salesperson catching them getting a little too friendly with the pillows, and definitely plenty to relate to if you’re at all like me and have spent way too much time thinking about this subject. Give it a shot, and I’m curious to see what other comics they’ve put out when the store link opens up, as that “Max & Mazey in” above the title sure implies the existence of more of these. No price listed, but I’m randomly going with $8.
Leave a Comment » | Reviews | Tagged: Bedhead, Poltergrease, Presley Taylen | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
Update for 10/11/24
October 11, 2024New review today for Gullet by Ernie Roan, and this concludes the first of probably many weeks of reviews from CXC. Hey, I’m back in Illinois, maybe I can finally start hitting CAKE again. Too many quality conventions!
Leave a Comment » | Site News | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
Roan, Ernie – Gullet
October 11, 2024
One of the pitfalls of my “gotta grab ’em all” approach to conventions (which always fails; at best I come away with comics from about 1/3 of the attendees) is that I end up having to get the “affordable” comic from certain tables. Which is not to say bad things about this comic, or any other comic where that’s been the circumstance. Ernie has a larger comic called Bellwether out that looks intriguing, but it also cost twice as much as this one, so you can see where this is going. No, it turns out that I cannot actually have all of the comics. Benevolent billionaires, you can still sponsor the website! I continue to believe that it’s possible to get and review all of the comics, with resources and help, and without the time sink of other full time employment. Anyway, enough of the “boo hoo, I can’t have all of the comics” nonsense, what’s the story with this one? It’s a collection of three autobio pieces, which were probably new to this and not previously published in anthologies? I think. First up is a piece dealing with his annoyance at a writing class, confirming my sad suspicion that most of those classes these days are more about online engagement than the art. Nice hopeful message and a solid closing bit, not that I’m going to ruin it here. Next up is a story about a moment in time in his food service career, where one employee is having a bad enough day to storm out and can’t even find a brief bit of privacy on her way, this time with a closing that’s bleak as hell, at least to me. Finally there’s a story about collecting trash from a backseat, which I’m really glad he clarified on his website was based on a dream. It ends up being a bizarre contest where he has to convince people that his bag of backseat trash is actually clothes, with disastrous results. Nice solid pile of stories, and one more name I’ll have to be on the lookout for at Cartoon Crossroads next year. Oh, will the pile of quality comics never end? In case I haven’t mentioned it, my new apartment came with a fainting couch, so I’ve been looking to get the vapors whenever possible. Sometimes I have to give them to myself, like here. Still, worth it! $5
Leave a Comment » | Reviews | Tagged: Ernie Roan, GUllet | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
Update for 10/9/24
October 9, 2024New review today for The Re-Up #4 by Chad Bilyeu & Juliette de Wit, and that series is moving right along, so you’ll be seeing a few more reviews of it here before this convention reviewing business is through for the year.
Leave a Comment » | Site News | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
Bilyeu, Chad & de Wit, Juliette – The Re-Up #4
October 9, 2024Website (Chad)
Website (Juliette)
I’m happy to report that this series is rolling right along (this is me after attending Cartoon Crossroads ’24). I picked up the next three issues of the series and Chad said that they’re working on #9 already, so if you were holding off on checking this one out until making sure that it wasn’t going to become yet another promising series that flamed out and disappeared… yeah, I think they’ve passed that point. Go back to read the older reviews if you need to get caught up (or better yet, just get the comics), but this time around we get some insight into how much all of his dealing is affecting Chad’s classes. He’s taken aside by his Buddhist Religious Thought professor and asked why his work has been slipping so much lately. Side note: apparently his professor was in the religion episode of Ali G way back in the early aughts, so now I have to watch my Ali G DVD of that episode. Yeah, can you believe that the guy who only reviews physical comics still has physical media? Shocking! Anyway, during their conversation we see a flashback into what exactly it is that’s been keeping him from focusing on his studies, and it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise to see that it’s mostly due to him making $1000 a week or so dealing. Which is still real money now, but 20+ years ago that would clearly take precedence over his classes. We see a wide range of his customers: a student who insists that he’ll be a senator some day (I’d love to see an update on that kid), a group of students studying who just need to relax, one who’s all business, one who tries to make a game of it by having Chad choose which hand the money is in, etc. They all do seem to be united in saying that Chad’s code system (having people call or text saying that they need t-shirts) was stupid, which Chad solved by… making up some t-shirts and literally giving them out with the weed. Kind of a genius move, honestly, and the shirts were against a rival school, so there’d be no reason for them to cause suspicion. An ongoing saga throughout the comic is him waiting for one customer who repeatedly pushes off their meet-up, and still ends up being several hours late. Which is a gigantic hassle for him, obviously, but it turns out that she’s his best client, which makes it tough for him to make any ultimatums for her. There are also a few treats in the back of the comic, as he reveals his transcript (just in case anybody was worried about whether or not he dropped out) and has another funny and informative afterward. He’s looking for letters to fill that space, but honestly I’m enjoying the informal chat feeling of it. Get caught up, read the series, is what I say. He’s also selling a bundle of the first 6 issues to make it easy on yourself. $9
Leave a Comment » | Reviews | Tagged: Chad Bilyeu, Juliette de Wit, The Re-up | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
Update for 10/7/24
October 7, 2024New review today for Baggage by Violet Kitchen, and you’d better believe that this week is all about Cartoon Crossroads comics. Oddly, I’ve also been getting a lot of comics in the mail lately, which normally take precedence as far as reviews go, but, you know… convention.
Leave a Comment » | Site News | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
Kitchen, Violet – Baggage
October 7, 2024
Have you ever thought about the hotel room you’re staying in? I mean, really thought about it, what’s it’s seen, who’s stayed there, what they’ve done while staying there? As somebody who worked in a hotel ages ago, I confine myself to “they clean it every day,” because any introspection past that is terrifying. Violet, on the other hand, really gets into it with this comic. I wonder if this insight comes from former (or current) employment in the field or just natural observations from life. This comic is all aspects of the hotel stay, from the human compulsion to try to make the blank area look lived-in to contemplating anything and everything that was done on that bed. It’s a evocatively told story, and if somebody told me that it was Violet’s poem before they decided to make it into a comic I would absolutely believe them. There’s beauty in this subject too, as a whole lot of dreaming also went on in that room. This is one of those comics that will make you think about something you’ve possibly never thought about before, and you can’t ask for more from a book than that. Meanwhile, now I have one more person that I have to seek out at the next CXC to see what else they’ve done. Plenty, judging by their website, so when you stop by there to check this one out, grab another one or two, won’t you? $5
Leave a Comment » | Reviews | Tagged: Baggage, Violet Kitchen | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
Update for 10/3/24
October 3, 2024New review today for Sucker by Mary Shyne, and why yes, I am actually going to make a serious effort to get through my CXC review pile this month, or at least put a big dent in it. Too busy with work, schmoo busy with work, that’s what I say!
Leave a Comment » | Site News | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
Shyne, Mary – Sucker
October 3, 2024
Here I am thinking that I had just read a mildly grim, thoroughly engaging if inexorable but self-contained mini comic, only to discover that it’s part of something called the “Graduation Day” universe. See, this is what I get when I gravitate to the small comics at CXC in the (completely vain) hope that I can maybe not spend all of the money that I allotted for the con while still checking out lots of new stuff. In case you were wondering, this year, as always, I spent more than that. I blame the completely unexpected new Marc Bell book from Drawn & Quarterly, but it was more than that. Anyway! Christ, there’s a comic right in front of me I’m meant to be talking about. This is about the friendship between Kaylee and… the unnamed main character? Maybe I’d know it if I read the other book(s) in this series. They’re getting ready for their confirmation, so if you went to Catholic school you know all about that. They’re inseparable, and have a crush, purely hypothetical, on a boy with bangs named Skyler. After the narrator gets talked into going to a show by Skyler’s band, he ends up taking an interest in one of them which, if you know anything about how best friends could behave in the early teen years, came with disastrous consequences. Or maybe not disastrous so much as inevitable, as the “loser” pulling away from their friend in jealousy is exactly the kind of thing that blew up so many friendships in those years. It’s a mildly heartbreaking story, but it’s honest, down to the utter bewilderment of the “winner” in the situation, and how once the crush was seen in reality and not from a romantic distance, the dude kind of fell apart. Check it out, but maybe get the other books in this universe too for context. Don’t be a cheapskate like me! $5
Leave a Comment » | Reviews | Tagged: Mary Shyne, Sucker | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
