New review today for Eyeland #16 by Nick Forker. Hey look, it’s another unintentional theme week! This time it’s “ongoing comics series that come out on a regular basis by prolific artists.” Catchy!
Forker, Nick – Eyeland #16
November 13, 2025
Maybe some day I’ll understand why it’s so rare for artists to have simple ways to buy their comics on their websites, but that day is not today. The link goes to a store that is currently sold out, but hey, maybe they’ll get more copies! Also back in my review for #13 I figured out that Nick is doing more continuing stories now and that I should stop my habit of reviewing random issues. I then promptly forgot all about that before reviewing this one. Better luck next time! This is a collection of several short pieces that are almost certainly parts of larger stories, but I’ll do my best. First up is the story of a badger having a conversation with several animals. He tells them that he has a secret he’d like to share with them… but only if they give up something they value. Next up is the shortest story, starring our hero the eyeball, discovering drinking, dancing and fun. I’m guessing this would have made a lot more sense in context, but I’ll get there eventually. Next is an equally short piece about an amnesiac with a cooked chicken (attached to a penis) for a head waking up in the back of an unknown vehicle. The next piece looks like the start of a story, as it deals with a young man who gets in an accident, rejects death, comes back to life and has a series of visions when he’s drifting in and out of consciousness. Finally there’s a baffling piece about a snake and a… sentient zit? The management here at Optical Sloth (me, it’s always and forever just been me) regrets not reading the previous issues for context, and will get on that in the near future. Before the end of 2025 is my pledge to you! And since it’s already mid-November, that’s serious business. The bottom line is that Nick is still putting out quality comics at an impressive pace, and I’m content just to watch his mind work, even without full context. If you’re like that too, give this one a shot! If not, the man has at least two collections available, maybe start with one of those and see what you think. $7
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Posted by Kevin
Update for 11/11/25
November 11, 2025New review today for Santos Sisters #9 by Greg and Fake Petre!
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Posted by Kevin
Petre, Greg & Fake – Santos Sisters #9
November 11, 2025
I feel like there’s a certain type of old school comic reader who would still, somehow, in this disastrous world of ours, make a fuss over the fact that the image on the cover never occurs in the comic, so I’ll acknowledge that that’s the case. But what’s in the comic is even better than them somehow making their way to space, so don’t worry about it! There are four stories in this Eisner award winning series (hey, congrats!), along with the usual and constantly growing array of ads, and this time even a letters page. First up is the dramatic tale of Alana saying that she’s quitting the sisters to become a tattoo artist. How will her friends react? Will anybody take her seriously? Will she be any good at inking tattoos? OK, no more hypothetical questions in my review, but you know I’m not going to answer any of them. Next up is a story of the boys going nuts for Pokeman cards and buying them all up before some local kids can get theirs, which leads to them getting offered old baseball cards out of pity, which leads to the birth of a new and terrifying villain. Or maybe just a walking public service announcement? Dammit, I said I was done with the hypotheticals. Boozy Bee’s wife almost gets caught in the act, but can she manage to hide her lover before… ugh, once you start with the questions you just can’t stop. Finally there’s the story of a man, his wallet, the need for cash to buy shawarma and an irresistible ad for massage service. The need to ask another hypothetical question is killing me, but I’ll move past it. It’s another solid issue, and they’ve built up such a massive cast of characters that the Santos Sisters don’t even need to be in every story to still have a fun comic. Buy that collection from Fantagraphics why don’t you, then get caught up with the individual issues? They work fast, so you’re running out of time to catch up before it becomes a hopeless task. $5
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Posted by Kevin
Update for 11/6/25
November 6, 2025New review today for Spinnerrackreverie by Eli Bishop, who I somehow haven’t reviewed for 5 years? Huh.
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Posted by Kevin
Bishop, Eli – Spinnerrackreverie
November 6, 2025
I wonder how many of the people reading this remember spinner racks. Fellow adults/middle-aged people, give me a second here. Younger folks, you could literally spin those racks in a circle, and the racks would be covered by the latest comics available. Sometimes a little digging would uncover hidden issues in these racks, or if you were lucky even the last few back issues of whatever series you were looking for. Sure, the rack kind of beat up the comics a bit, but it was definitely convenient. This not particularly helpful explainer doesn’t say much about the inside of this comic, but at least now you know what the title means! This is a collection of Eli’s interpretations of the covers of several old comics. He first shows his version of two covers, then on the following page shows the actual covers along with a synopsis of the stories and whatever he knows about the covers (or trivia about the contents, if it’s relevant). I recognized a few of these (including this one) before I got to the actual cover, and in every instance that I recognized Eli’s version was an improvement. I also hadn’t realized that so many older comics never credited the cover artist, let alone the colorist or letterer for it, so a lot of that stuff is literally lost to history. Which is why I tend to call it out when I review a mini comic with no contact information in it. Before you know it it’s 20 years later and somebody is discovering your comic for the first time, and they’ll have no clue who made it. Anyway, this was a blast for me, and I think it would also be interesting for people who’ve never heard of spinner racks (but I must admit that my opinion is not exactly subjective). $12
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Posted by Kevin
Update for 11/4/25
November 4, 2025New review today for Airbag #4 by Brian Canini. What, did you think I went to Cartoon Crossroads and Brian DIDN’T have a new comic out? What a thing to think. Also there’s no election in Illinois today, but if you’re in a state that has one, vote! Use that privilege while you still have it.
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Posted by Kevin
Canini, Brian – Airbag #4
November 4, 2025
I recently watched all of the Treehouse of Horror episodes of The Simpsons (well, re-watched the first dozen or so, watched the rest for the first time), so maybe it’s just because they’re fresh in my mind, but that’s what came instantly to mind after reading this. These issues are also Brian’s chance to create whatever stories he wants without necessarily thinking about a long term plan, just like those episodes. I say that and I’ll probably end up figuring out around #12 or so that he had a master plan all along. Anyway! This is another collection of short stories, although I think at least a few of the characters have appeared in some of his other comics. First up is the longest story in here (called Basement Machine; it takes up exactly half of the comic), dealing with a woman who’s spiraling because of recent break-up before starting to hear an odd but insistent noise in her basement. How far would you go to uncover the mystery behind something like that? Speaking as someone who’s currently living in a house where the basement locks from my side, I personally would have given up long before she did. There’s one quick but poignant story in here about how a bookshelf changes over time and what is heard by that shelf over the years, and then the next story covers the rest of the comic. It deals with a bullied boy who does some quick math in his head (based off of comic book super hero origin stories) and decides that if he rolls around in poison ivy, he’ll become Poison Ivy Man. Is he correct? I’ll let you discover that part, but this was also a solid story about a quiet kid who tries to do things the right way to get the bullies to like him while not being a total pushover. Altogether it’s another solid issue of Airbag, and it’s another one that I’d recommend. These are also great if you see him at a convention, since they’re self-contained. I mean, I’d also recommend all 22ish issues of Plastic People, but one of those options is significantly more of a financial commitment than the other one. $10
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Posted by Kevin
Update for 10/29/25
October 29, 2025New review today for Midville High #9 by Matt Blair, which is not a book from Cartoon Crossroads even though Matt lives in Ohio. Go figure!
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Posted by Kevin
Blair, Matt – Midville High #9
October 29, 2025
Midville High #9
Matt’s taken time off comics here and there (go to his website, he’s very clear about the release dates for his books), so it’s heartening to see that he has a release schedule now and he’s clearly sticking to it. Two comics in two months is impressive in the small press comics world, but he’s clearly planning on keeping these monthly, and I don’t see much reason to doubt him. This one is mostly about our hero Kyle getting into a jam of not finishing his third of a joint school project (which leads to the promise of bodily harm from the other two participants if he doesn’t get his act together) and trying to get out of it. Along with many, many jokes, which I guess some people might not like, but I appreciated the commitment to the bit if nothing else (and OK fine, I also laughed at more than a few of the jokes). Anyway, Kyle hears about an old hoax involving a picture of dried up corpses of fairies that were found in the woods decades ago and decides to make that his contribution to the project. But time is running short and, to put it mildly, Kyle has trouble focusing on his schoolwork, which of course leads to some shenanigans by the end. It’s another fun story, and my only complaint about the book is the fake newspaper story on the back cover of the comic. Not the story itself, mind you, just that my copy (or maybe all copies?) ended up so faded that I couldn’t really read it. It’s a minor thing, and it didn’t effect the story, but I am one of those people who watches all the bonus content for things that I like, so I would have liked to have read the whole story. Oh, the problems I have. Check it out why don’t you, give the man some incentive to keep up that monthly schedule! $1
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Posted by Kevin
Update for 10/27/25
October 27, 2025New review today for With You, Without You by Hannah Jill Johnston, and why yes I did pick that up at Cartoon Crossroads. How did you guess?
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Posted by Kevin
Johnston, Hannah Jill – With You, Without You
October 27, 2025
I’m doing my level best to stay focused on this comic, but did you know that she has a comic on her website that’s made entirely out of felt, encased in a felt cheese grater? Granted, it was purchased for a book collection and is not for sale, but wow is that thing ever impressive. It looks like Hannah is working on her first graphic novel at the moment, but she does have a few other comics available, so it’s not like she’s brand new to this. And the bags she has available for sale! OK, I’m wandering far away from this comic, but seriously, check out her website. This is a flip book that’s also an accordion comic, meaning that each of the covers above depicts a different time in her life, and that you need to pull the comic out like an accordion to read it. Kids, accordions are musical instruments that… nah, I don’t have the energy for that. If you can’t picture it, you’re already on the internet, so I’ll bet you know how to find a picture of one. The comic is a snapshot of moods, one where she’s surprised at how casually she ended up with a girlfriend living with her and another by how much better her next relationship is by comparison. It’s a shortie, so there’s not a whole lot to say about it other than it’s universally relatable to everybody who’s ever thought they had it good only to finally find the real thing. The craftsmanship of this book is impressive too; part of my reviewing so many comics over the years means that I’ve reviewed several accordion comics by now, and they inevitably seem to start falling apart after a few reads. This sucker is sturdy and would take some serious effort to pull apart (not that I recommend trying). After reading this I’m very curious about her upcoming graphic novel, so you can expect that to be reviewed here after next year’s Cartoon Crossroads (or sooner if I see it at Chicago Comics or something). $20
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Posted by Kevin
Update for 10/15/25
October 15, 2025New review today for Introverts Illustrated #1 by Scott Finch, who sent along a Meeting Comics-esque bundle of the whole (?) series. Does this mean weekly reviews for a new series? Maybe for a little bit, or maybe for the whole thing, or maybe not at all. It’ll be a surprise!
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Posted by Kevin
Finch, Scott – Introverts Illustrated #1
October 15, 2025
Was I expecting something autobiographical after seeing that title? Reader, you know I was, but this is actually a dream comic. Scott sent along a big bundle of his comics (21 issues I think?) in this series, and they’re arranged by theme. The first five issues are dream comics, but what am I going to do, NOT review the first issue in the series? Madness. Maybe it would have made more sense to review the first five issues as a chunk, but I’m committed to this one now, so maybe don’t be shocked if the next four issues are a bundled review. Trivial information for people who didn’t ask! Scott does dream-like comics very well, and this issue is no exception. Forms are constantly splitting and merging, perspective changes, reality is in doubt, and there’s a general sense of wondering what you just read after finishing it. I mean that in the best possible sense! Trying to describe any kind of dream comic is a fool’s errand, but I’m just that kind of fool. Things start off with a gorgeous sequence of images attempting to coalesce into a theme before finally settling on driving down a highway towards a town named Rapunzel. The car shifts into him being one (or two) stray dogs who had to sing for their supper, which is what he had always been. Their supper was lettuce, which was guarded by witches flying kites. Of course, he never was a dog, which he also figures out eventually. There’s more, but I think you get the general sense of it, and I don’t want to spoil even a dream. More to come, so I’ll have a more informed opinion as I go, but this was intriguing and I’m curious to see more comics in this series. So far I’m only seeing this for sale as a bundle of the first five issues for $25.
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Posted by Kevin
Update for 10/13/25
October 13, 2025Taking a brief break from Cartoon Crossroads book to at least make a dent in the mail review comics, so the new review today is for Cookies & Herb by Matt MacFarland!
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Posted by Kevin
MacFarland, Matt – Cookies & Herb
October 13, 2025
This is a delightful story about an aspect of childhood that is often overlooked: your relationships with the older non-relatives in your life. Maybe this isn’t as much of a thing currently; I don’t have kids and I’m not a kid, so it’s entirely possible that families rarely if ever interact with their neighbors any more. But back in the day! Back then (I’m a couple of years older than Matt, meaning that we both had our childhoods in the 80’s), it wasn’t at all odd to knock on the doors of elderly neighbors asking for candy or cookies, maybe hot chocolate if it was cold, to use their phone to call the parents to check in (and try to get more time before you had to come home), etc. That, if you haven’t guessed yet, is the “Herb” in the title. Matt’s first memory was actually at Herb’s house, after his wife had come home from a trip to the hospital. Matt and his family were chatting and joking with them before Herb’s wife took a drastic turn for the worse right in front of them, leaving Herb all alone in that house. Matt’s family got him a dog pretty quickly after that, and Matt would often stop by for cookies or just to watch tv and hang out with Herb. His family eventually moved a few miles away from Herb when he was about 10, which at the time basically meant that he lived on the other side of the world to Matt at the time. There was also the whole going through childhood, then puberty, then college thing (which distracts us all), meaning that Matt only saw Herb one other time. Herb wasn’t doing well at the time and Matt mostly wanted to get out of there, but years later he dug into Herb’s life to try to solve the mystery of what he was really like. This book is much more than just that story, as Matt also goes into detail about his reactions to his upcoming brother (conflicted, to say the least), his intentional (and unintentional) attempts at being a daredevil, his obsession with The Greatest American Hero, his relationship with his high school girlfriend’s mother… a life, basically. With plenty of bits skimmed over, because this isn’t a full autobiography, and he does a solid job of not straying too far from the overall theme. No shockers here because I’ve been a fan of his work for awhile now, but this is maybe his best comic (that covers a lot of ground, so it gets a qualifier) and it absolutely is worth checking out. $15
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Posted by Kevin
Update for 10/9/25
October 9, 2025New review today for Best of Three by Sean Knickerbocker, as that Cartoon Crossroads review train just keeps rolling along.
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Posted by Kevin
Knickerbocker, Sean – Best of Three
October 9, 2025
I finally met Sean for the first time at Cartoon Crossroads this year (or at least it seemed to both of us like it was the first time meeting; it’s always possible we met briefly at a previous con and then forgot) and he’s delightful, in case anybody was wondering. When he told me that this book was a collection of previous stories from his anthology Rust Belt Review (up to #7 as of this writing, and for anybody who wondered why I stopped reviewing them after the first issue, I just haven’t seen any more out in the wild) I figured it would be a collection of unconnected stories, but since I’ve liked his other comics I had no troubles with that. Reader, this is a graphic novel, and a damned good one at that. It flowed seamlessly, with no indications that it was previously released in serial form in his anthology series. I actually reviewed the first maybe dozen pages years ago, and it’s after that that things really start getting good. The basic story is that there’s a slacker named David living at his friend’s house, going nowhere in life, until his friend decides to move back and gives David an ultimatum to move out. That’s right around the time that David’s father reportedly died, leaving him $20,000, which is what he needs to maybe work on his dream of starting a landscaping business. But of course he throws a party first, and that’s where the reader sees that he’s under surveillance. The cast of characters just keeps growing from there, as we quickly learn that a large amount of money was stolen by David’s father (closer to millions than $20,000), the people who had the money stolen are trying to track it down, his father’s old partner is also trying to track it down, and Sean keeps up an admirable pace with this heist story. Well, not heist, I guess, more of a “getting the money after the heist” story. Is there a word for that? Anyway, it keeps you guessing throughout, Sean spends the time necessary to make every one of these characters feel believable and real (with their own quirks and problems), and it all comes together beautifully in the end. Thoroughly recommended, give it a shot why don’t you? $20
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Posted by Kevin
Update for 10/7/25
October 7, 2025New review today for I Never Found You by Emma Jon-Michael Frank, and you’d better believe that this is another week of Cartoon Crossroads reviews.
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Posted by Kevin
Frank, Emma Jon-Michael – I Never Found You
October 7, 2025
I’ve started this new tradition at cons where if I get to the table for Floating World Comics while I still have money to spend, I’m getting a random graphic novel. Sure, I could spend five minutes going through them to make it less random, but then I’d inevitably want to get half a dozen of them, and since they mostly sell graphic novels and my billionaire benefactor has yet to appear, this seems like a bad idea. I mention all of this to say that I didn’t know a thing about Emma’s work before reading this book, and flipping through it at home made me wonder why I picked it. At first glance the art is crude, but after reading it I’ve revised my opinion of the art upward (it’s sparse, but lush when it needs to be, and it’s not like the many panels of Egbert thinking about his lot in life need lavish backgrounds). But the story more than makes up for anything else I might think is lacking. This is the story of Egbert, a thoroughly miserable dude who only finds meaning in his bird-watching habit. But he’s terrible at that too, consistently being the one with the fewest sightings in his club. Even in his club of kinda sorta societal rejects he stands out as pathetic, and he’s consistently unpleasant enough that he doesn’t evoke any kind of sympathy from his peers. We spend a whole lot of time with Egbert in his (completely alone) home life, where he actually puts himself through “training” to become a better bird watcher (I’m not going to spoil this wonder by revealing his methods), talks a lot about (and to) his “online therapist,” and falls in love with anybody who’s even slightly nice to him (but he doesn’t seem to have much of a idea of what love is). I was settling in for another comics tale of a sad sack loser when something happens that changes the whole dynamic: Egbert finds a severed hand in a tree. Suddenly he has the respect of his peers, has an interview scheduled on the news, and overall thinks this is his big chance to make a splash. And, predictably, it fizzles out; there was never a realistic chance of the evening news airing a long interview with a guy who found a hand. But now Egbert has the itch and knows what he has to do to get attention, so how far will be go to chase that high? It’s a genuinely funny book on top of all of that; the recurring gag of him being called a creep because he was walking around everywhere with binoculars surprised me several times, as did his habit of completely forgetting that he owned a cat. I wouldn’t call it a laugh riot, but it’s an engrossing and balanced read, and Egbert even gets the confrontation he was dreaming about by the end. Check it out, it also turns out that Emma has several other books available, so my graphic novel purchase might be a little less random next year. $20
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Posted by Kevin
