New review for Drinking at the Movies by Julia Wertz, and I do have a few more international books but this one is due back at the library soon and it was too good not to review. Um, not to give away my opinion or anything…
Update for 12/20/10
December 20, 2010
Comments Off on Update for 12/20/10 | 
Site News | 
Permalink
Posted by Kevin
Wertz, Julia – Drinking at the Movies
December 20, 2010
Where to even begin? It’s cheating for me to just say that this is fantastic and leave it at that, right? Crap. This covers the time between the summer of 2007 and the end of 2008, as Julia decided to move to New York after all the things keeping her in San Francisco fell away at once. Parts of it seem to be taken from her “Fart Party” comic and maybe another mini or two, but I’m far too lazy to go back and check which parts. Most of it seemed new to me, and I do try to keep an eye on this sort of thing. The book even almost has an uplifting ending, although I’m sure Julia would hate to hear that, as she seems to more or less give up the drinking and get on with a few more “adult” responsibilities. In the meantime we get to see her drunken year and a half in all its glory. There’s the random nature of her move (hilariously explained as her natural propensity to always take the difficult path), how bums seem to gravitate to her and how she can’t seem to hold a job. There’s her oddly happy home life and the fact that she gets along with her whole family, even though an older brother has had some trouble unrelated to her. Yes, drinking at the movies does take place, and it seems to take place fairly often. Do they serve liquor at the movies or does she smuggle it in? The world may never know; I know some places are smart enough to serve liquor with their movies. Other highlights (out of about 190 pages, so I’m cutting this list extremely short) include her odd ability to quiet a baby, the various ways she gets fired from her jobs and her utter lack of sadness about any of them, her hobo-like appearance and the fact that she only uses three outfits, her childlike eating habits, being ignored by obnoxious assholes who hit on everyone else, and, of course, drunken shenanigans. I read a chunk of comics on her website that seem to indicate some serious maturing going on in some ways, but her stuff is still hilarious as ever, so no worries there. Something about a tv adaptation of “Fart Party” was mentioned in this, but I haven’t seen anything about it since, which would be a shame. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I don’t see a way that it wouldn’t fall apart on television (unless maybe it was an IFC and she had a serious hand in the creative aspect), but it would have made for some excellent comics. There also don’t seem to be any minis in her store, which is odd, but all her books are available and you get special bonus goodies for ordering them from her. If you’ve avoided her comics so far because maybe you don’t like unconnected but fantastically funny comics, this one has a more or less coherent storyline, so your excuses are over. Buy it and be happy. $15
Comments Off on Wertz, Julia – Drinking at the Movies | Reviews | Tagged: Drinking at the Movies, Fart Party, Julia Wertz | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
Update for 12/19/10
December 19, 2010New review for Kus! #8 by various international artists, but for the purpose of this international week I’ll point out that a good chunk of them are from Latvia.
Comments Off on Update for 12/19/10 | Site News | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
Various Interational Comics – Kus! #8
December 19, 2010
Kus! #8
Is the world ready for an anthology based on allotment gardening? Well, considering the fact that the world doesn’t seem to be ready for small press comics in general and it seems like a bit of a moot point, doesn’t it? Still, those of you reading this are probably inclined to give it a try, so don’t run away based on what seems like boring subject matter. The great thing about these anthologies is the wide range of colors, styles and cultural backgrounds, so at the very least you’re bound to find at least parts of this book gorgeous. That being said, honestly, to me the subject matter was often a little dull. Granted, this is a wildly creative group of people who took the subject into unexpected areas, but chunks of it didn’t do a lot for me. Highlights include Ruta Briede’s painted piece about a growing garden gnome, Sabine Moore’s hungry carrot, Malin Biller’s heartbreaking tale of family life contrasted with the happiness of vacations, Yoshi’s Garden Gnome Liberation Front, Irkus Zeberio and Hitler’s doubles, James Turek with some useful advice for long-distance murdering, and Lai Tat Tat Wing’s cautionary tale of the future. The highlight of the comic was again the manga portion by Hironori Kikucki, as he drifted off while contemplating the subject matter and came up with something completely different and fantastic. I’m guessing the translating errors are unintentional, but they add an extra layer of funny to the whole thing. According to his bio he mostly does stories for teenagers, but he should really consider branching out into the small press world where he can get creative. All told it’s far from an awful anthology, but I wouldn’t list it as one of the greats either. If you’re looking to explore the international world of comics this is a great place to get a number of names and contact information, if you’re already a regular reader of this series this is the one I’ve seen so far that you could maybe get away with skipping. Then again, it’s only $8 for 111 colorful pages, so it’s up to you.
Comments Off on Various Interational Comics – Kus! #8 | Reviews | Tagged: Agnieszka Piksa, Ernests Klavins, Franziska Adler, Hironori Kikuchi, Ines Christine Geisser, Ines Estrada, Ingrida Picukane, Irkus Zeberio, Jaakko Pallasvuo, James Turek, Konig Lu Q, Koshi Kawachi, Kus!, Lai Tat Tat Wing, Liesbeth de Stercke, Liga Laurenovica, Malin Biller, Marie-Pierre Brunel, Oskars Pavlovskis, Phillip Janta, Ruta Briede, Sabine Moore, Ulrike Seitz, Yoshi | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
Update for 12/17/10
December 17, 2010New review for Gin Palace #2 edited by Rob Jackson, who currently resides in Bolton, United Kingdom. I may or may not have time to get reviews together over the weekend, as I seem to be coming down with another of those miserable winter bugs. If not, the international flavor may carry over into next week, as I still have a few that need to get posted. Oh, and the online store is absolutely, positively working again, so any orders placed before Wednesday will get to you before Christmas, and I’ll foot the bill for the extra postage necessary to make it so. It’s my little gift to all of you! Well, not all of you, but at least those of you who order comics from me in the next few days…
Comments Off on Update for 12/17/10 | Site News | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
Jackson, Rob (editor) – Gin Palace #2
December 17, 2010
Gin Palace #2
That Rob Jackson, he has to be one of the hardest working guys in comics today. Well, small press comics anyway, as those guys with Marvel and DC have a monthly schedule to keep up, but you know what I mean. The first Gin Palace was a success, and this one follows it up nicely. Don’t be alarmed with the familiarity of my using first names here, and check the tags so see exactly who they are if you’re unclear. Francesca starts things off with a story about how awesome it was to go out to a bar with her dad when she was very young, Andrew has a story about a black dog rib that flew right over my head, Rob has a lovely tale involving a black hole and a robot that became a god, John/Sean has a story about living with a serious regret even though things aren’t all that bad as they are (probably the highlight of the comic), Paul has an excellent mish mish of family drama, Dave tells the story of a pumpkin competition that goes too far, Pete has a great piece about a grandson being tricked into pursuing a career in science, Sin-Cat (I’m guessing that’s the name the creator goes by too, at least judging from the back cover) has another wandering tale that hits and occasionally misses, Jarod deals with his tricky future self, Brad gives us instructions to build our own intelligent robot cubehead, and Barry has a fairly straightforward story about revenge until the ending. What else do you want to know? Any comic with Rob Jackson, Dave Hughes, John Robbins and Brad Foster gets my vote, and this one has more than a few great stories besides that bunch. Buy it why don’t you? $6ish
Comments Off on Jackson, Rob (editor) – Gin Palace #2 | Reviews | Tagged: Andrew Cheverton, Barry Cook, Brad W. Foster, Dave Hughes, Francesca Cassavetti, Jarod Rosello, John Robbins, Paul Rainey, Pete Batchelor, Rob Jackson, Sean Mac Roibin, Sin-Cat | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
Update for 12/16/10
December 16, 2010New review for Two Eyes of the Beautiful #2 by Ryan Cecil Smith, currently living in Hyogo-ken, Japan.
Comments Off on Update for 12/16/10 | Site News | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
Smith, Ryan Cecil – Two Eyes of the Beautiful #2
December 16, 2010
Two Eyes of the Beautiful #2
Huzzah for a second issue! I got the first one a while ago (please don’t ask me to remember exact dates when I received comics) and loved it, and this issue only solidifies that love. Right away you should be able to tell by that cover if you’ll be interested. You have an angry dog, a melting face, a chainsaw and a pair of scared eyes. Draws you right in. I should also mention that this is based on a manga called “Blood’s Baptism” by Umczu Kazuo that is apparently unavailable in English, so kudos to Ryan for putting out his own take on this. Things start off with an excellent two page recap of the previous issue, something more people should do, but regular readers already know my thoughts on that subject. From there we see the mother reminiscing about her beautiful past, then catching a stray dog and dragging him to the attic (past her hiding and terrified daughter Sarah). Sarah thinks this may be a dream, but the blood dripping from the ceiling convinces her. She somehow manages to fall asleep and wakes up to it all being cleaned up, but her mom still has the marks on her arms from where the dog lashed out. Sarah decides that it’s time to get serious, so she goes through an elaborate process to get ready for the day. Yes, I used one of them for the sample, as it’s so quintessentially manga that I couldn’t help using one of the few non-creepy or violent pages. So Sarah works up the courage to check out the attic after her mom goes out and finds… I’m giving too much away again, aren’t I? Dammit. The last issue of this series was creepy as could be, this one actually ups the ante and ads “disgusting” to the mix. The few printing problems I noticed the last time around are gone now and the art is fantastic, just absolutely perfect for the story. There’s one more issue in this series coming, so you should really get the first couple now so you’ll be ready. Assuming you like this sort of thing, I guess, but who doesn’t like tense and creepy manga? $5ish
Comments Off on Smith, Ryan Cecil – Two Eyes of the Beautiful #2 | Reviews | Tagged: Ryan Cecil Smith, Two Eyes of the Beautiful | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
Update for 12/15/10
December 15, 2010New review for an international anthology based out of Australia called Blackguard #2.
Comments Off on Update for 12/15/10 | Site News | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
Various International Anthologies – Blackguard #2
December 15, 2010
Blackguard #2
When they say this is 18+, they are not fucking around. Just a warning to all you sensitive souls out there. This is a collection of stories about Dads, featuring that list of names on the cover (seriously, click on it to check it out if you want, I’m not going to type them all here). As you might expect, very few of these stories are positive, and most of them aren’t true, but they are funny stories. Highlights include Neal Blanden’s story about not being able to visit his mother for the last two months of her life because his Dad was seeing another woman, Dexter Cockburn (a hilariously fake name) and his story about a Dad helping out with an “adventure club” and his noticing how one of the girl members has blossomed, Glenn Smith and his litany of Dads throughout history, Julie Doye and her Dad’s new teeth, Anton Emdin with his “Deadbeat Dad” strips (which, if there were any justice in the world, would be in newspapers across the globe), Mike Diana playing with the concept of a Dad and his two-way mirror, Ryan Vella with the shortest “Tales From the Crypt” story ever, Chris Mikul with one of the few seemingly true stories in the book, and Lark with a brilliant bit of father/son bonding. There’s also an accurate table of contents (I bitch when it isn’t present, so I should praise when it is, right?), a series of reviews on other minis, and plenty of other fair to great stories in here that I haven’t mentioned to save you some surprises. No idea on the price of this thing, as the website doesn’t have a listing, but I’d have to say at least $7 for the fancy front and back cover and the sheer size of the thing. Contact the website, why don’t you, and you should also go there because the guy apparently spends a lot of time reviewing comics and such, which I clearly think is a good use of free time.
Comments Off on Various International Anthologies – Blackguard #2 | Reviews | Tagged: Anton Emdin, Ben Hutchings, Blackguard, Chris Mikul, D. Rat, David Puckenridge, Dexter Cockburn, Doug Iannucci, Gerard Ashworth, Glenn Smith, Henry Racicot, Josh Simmons, Julie Doye, Lark, Michael Aushenker, Mike Diana, Neale Blandon, Ross Radiation, Ryan Vella, SCAR, Stratu | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
Update for 12/14/10
December 14, 2010Top Shelf Tuesday fits my theme week! New review for Hey Princess by Mats Jonsson, currently residing in Stockholm, Sweden.
Comments Off on Update for 12/14/10 | Site News | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
Jonsson, Mats – Hey Princess
December 14, 2010
Sorry about crappy sample image, but this book is small (in size, not the number of pages) and dense, so I didn’t feel like cracking the spine for what probably still wouldn’t be a good sample image. Top Shelf has a few decent sample images if you’d like to see it a bit clearer. So what’s this all about? It’s the story of Mats from early 2003, when he was first starting college to just about 2000. He has a steady job for the vast majority of this hefty 479 page book, so that’s out as a source of conflict. Luckily he has a hell of a time with the ladies, and that subject is mined beautifully. It helps when the author has no qualms about being honest even when it makes him look bad, and Mats clearly has no such qualms. He starts off with a girl who already has a boyfriend (not that that stops him, but oh, the guilt), falls for another girl who says that she’s incapable of falling in love, gets with her friend when that doesn’t work out, and generally looks downright pathetic in the process. Well, he looks pathetic in hindsight, and how many of us can honestly say that some part of our romantic past doesn’t look pathetic these days? That’s what I thought. Anyway, he eventually falls deeply in love with a girl he meets at a music festival before the age difference and the physical distance between their homes takes a toll. Yes, that’s as far as I’m willing to go with the details. I will say that the cover gives the impression of a blissfully happy couple and, while there were a few of those moments in this book, overall it doesn’t paint that picture a bit. Other highlights include his honest appraisal of whether or not he was really exactly like his nemesis, the wannabes and fakes of all walks of life, whether or not he WAS one of those wannabes, lots of drinking, and getting trapped in a relationship with a suicidal girl. It’s unflinchingly honest (either that or he has a fetish of making himself look bad) and good luck putting this beast down once you get started. Even if you’ve managed to become jaded and sick of the autobio genre, you’ll still get plenty out of this pile of brilliance. #14.95
Comments Off on Jonsson, Mats – Hey Princess | Reviews | Tagged: Hey Princess, Mats Jonsson | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
Update for 12/13/10
December 13, 2010It’s time for another international comics week, as the things are piling up. Along with comics from around here, but that’s another story. New review for Enter Out by John Robbins, currently of Dublin, Ireland.
Comments Off on Update for 12/13/10 | Site News | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
Robbins, John – Enter Out
December 13, 2010
Enter Out (“with” Sean Mac Roibin)
It’s lazy as hell to post the description given by the author on the back of his book for the contents of said book. I get that, and I will post my thoughts here in a moment, but this is too good for me to pass up and it sums it all up so much better than I will, so: “Mutually overlapping dreams resonate into the waking lives of two friends. Physicality violently communicates a couple’s finance-related despair. Remedies for loneliness and frustration are sought in odd places. Meat.” I could write a few thousand words on this and never hit on anything better. First things first: this book is backwards. Basically that means to take the title literally and start at the back cover and work your way forwards, reading the panels right to left (although the “top to bottom” formulation still applies.) Once you get that out of the way you’ll notice that the description I listed (that I didn’t read until I was done because it was on the front, meaning the back, cover) doesn’t mention that the listed happenings bleed over into each other and it all ends up being connected. There’s also one of those guys with the dreams who wakes up with blood on his hands, someone else wit h the ability to get words by squeezing the balls of a man with a donkey head, a floating doll head and a clown, but I suppose John didn’t want to give everything away on the back. I’m all for innovation in the small press comics world (or pretty much anywhere) and this one fits that bill in spades. I guess you could argue that the backwards setup is a gimmick, but you’d be wrong, or if you are right it certainly doesn’t read that way. It accentuates the mix-up that is the lives of all these people and the increasingly strange but distinct things that are happening to all of them. Much of John Robbins work could easily fall into the “fucking brilliant” category, and this is definitely on that list. $3
Comments Off on Robbins, John – Enter Out | Reviews | Tagged: Enter Out, John Robbins, Sean Mac Roibin | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
Update for 12/12/10
December 12, 2010New review for The Sad State of Affairs of Rooster Jack by Adam Hansen & Ben Zmith. Thought I’d have more updates this weekend, but this is really more “read books and catch up on tv” weather than “write about comics” weather. Hey, I don’t make the rules…
Comments Off on Update for 12/12/10 | Site News | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
Zmith, Ben & Hansen, Adam – The Sad State of Affairs of Rooster Jack
December 12, 2010
The Sad State of Affairs of Rooster Jack
Huzzah for finally finding what I was looking for with this series? What’s that you say? The creators of the series are under no obligation to please me and it’s silly to judge it using that criteria? You would have a good point if my underlying problem with the series was wrong, but it really wasn’t: my theory was that the characters weren’t fleshed out enough and the quests they went on seemed random and meaningless. This one solves that problem by not really being about any quest at all, although I suppose there is one that serves as the impetus of the book. The team is after a gem in the middle of a body of water, but due to the um, sad state of the team, nobody is really able to get to it. So they have a little hilarious recruitment drive and then finish off the comic. Why don’t I care about the lack of any sort of resolution? Because this was all brilliantly set up to finally get a look into some of these characters. They complain around a bar, they complain while sitting around outside, and their various weaknesses are gone over in detail. Then, once all that and the story is over, we get little synopses of the characters. If you’re ever looking to read this series in some sort of order, start here. Oh, and there’s also a 3-D element to the bios, the covers and bits of the middle. The middle also features lots of games and such for kids, but with enough funnies to keep adults amused. Or at least to keep me amused, I don’t know what you like. Oh, and it comes with 3-D glasses to help you enjoy all the special features. Yep, I have no problems with this one at all, and think it’s an excellent sign on the overall potential for the characters and the series. $3
Comments Off on Zmith, Ben & Hansen, Adam – The Sad State of Affairs of Rooster Jack | Reviews | Tagged: Adam Hansen, Ben Zmith, Rooster Jack, The Sad State of Affairs of Rooster Jack | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
Update for 12/10/10
December 10, 2010New review for Billy the Demon Slayer #4 by Hayden Fryer, and I should be able to pop in at least a little bit during the weekend with more comics and such.
Comments Off on Update for 12/10/10 | Site News | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
Fryer, Hayden – Billy the Demon Slayer S2 #4
December 10, 2010
Billy the Demon Slayer S2 #4
Didn’t I say that I was going to go back and read this all in a chunk? Maybe I’ll do that with a future issue, because the problem isn’t that I’ve completely forgotten what was in the first three issues in this series, even with the gap between reviews. The trouble is that I have no idea what happened in the first “season,” and that information seems terribly important to understand what is happening now. Or then, as this book came out in 2008, but there’s no sense getting everybody all confused. Past events and characters are mentioned all the time, and that’s fine on a show like Buffy the Vampire Slayer (an obvious influence) because past seasons are readily available and they’ll even occasionally take a moment to explain something that happened long ago. I’m trying to just enjoy this one and not worry about it, but they make it tough when everything is tied so closely to the last series. So, ignoring all that, this issue is basically a long and hilarious fight scene between Billy and the mutated hamster from the last issue. While this is going on a shadowy group is taking over hell, and the emo mist is creeping closer to Billy’s location. And all kinds of past events and characters are referenced like we’re supposed to understand them. Aargh! It bugs me because this is a very funny series all on its own, and the major plot developments are clearly the result of careful planning that I’ll never see. Also, dispatching a villain by smashing it through a microwave glass door, then turning on the microwave while you’re standing right there WOULD KILL YOU. Sure, you can say it’s “just a comic book,” which is another way to say that you just thought it would look cool and have no interest in the facts. Man am I cranky today, I better wrap this up. In conclusion, this is a funny and innovative series that is crying out for a collected edition of the previous series or some sort of a synopsis, but still holds up reasonably well all on its own. $3.50
Comments Off on Fryer, Hayden – Billy the Demon Slayer S2 #4 | Reviews | Tagged: Billy the Demon Slayer, Hayden Fryer | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
Update for 12/7/10
December 8, 2010New review for The Girls are Mighty Fine by Amy Martin. I had this crazy idea for the end of the year, as those constant year-end “best of” lists are going to come out before you know it. What are the best small press comics you’ve read over the year? I want to know. And if you’re somebody who has sent me comics for review in the past but have something in mind that I haven’t mentioned here, why not send me a copy? Or at least mention it so I know what to look for? There’s a chance I already have a copy in my review pile and just haven’t gotten around to it yet. Anyway, just a thought, and even with all the comics I read in a year I’m all too aware that I still miss a lot of fantastic stuff. Oh, and keep those orders for comics coming…
Comments Off on Update for 12/7/10 | Site News | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
Martin, Amy – The Girls are Mighty Fine
December 8, 2010
The Girls are Mighty Fine
In case I haven’t made it clear enough in past reviews of Amy’s work, her stuff is perfect for the women fans of comics who don’t like fantasy or other genres that women creators are currently involved in. It’s also pretty damned good for the rest of us who enjoy funny, insightful and occasionally moving stories. This is a hefty collection of odds and ends. There’s an excellent reaction to a catcall, the ubiquity of “he’s never going to change” in advice given out, a fantastically unintentional game of “telephone,” the morning after, spring fever, bloody hell, magnolias, and a few short strips. Then we get to the bits with Amy as a child, and it caused an odd feeling in me: I think that it’s heartwarming. My heart is not warmed by many things, as it too often bubbles over into cheesy, but this stuff hit just the right tone. There’s Amy playing, Amy waiting for a doctor and observing a much sicker baby come in, and the differences in reactions to Easter between young and old Amy. Finally there are some true life tales of Amy’s job as a children’s librarian, which also manage to be adorable without overdoing it. Sure, there’s a piece or two in here that I could have done without, but who cares? This is a solid collection of stories, and if you’re not already a fan of her work, this will probably convince you. If you are already a fan you probably already have this, and I’m sorry to have wasted your time. $7
Comments Off on Martin, Amy – The Girls are Mighty Fine | Reviews | Tagged: Amy Martin, The Girls are Mighty Fine | Permalink
Posted by Kevin
