Diamond Comics
The rise of newsprint comic papers has been swift and fruitful. Generally they are distributed around cities, and are free of charge as a way to generate attention and appreciation of the indie comic scene. They are released all over the world on a fairly regular basis; Helsinki has Kuti, Angouleme has L’episode, Providence has Taffy Hips, New York has Smoke Signals, and Portland has Diamond.
It’s a lofty endeavor to gather art, produce and distribute one of these papers, but luckily our city has someone with the energy to make it happen. Started in 2008 by Jason Leivian (owner of Floating World Comics and editor of the Arthur Magazine comics section), Diamond Comics has released five issues all with beautiful full color covers and up to 32 pages of international comic goodness.
When you think about it, it makes sense that comics should discovered and enjoyed in this way. It harkens to their origins, the Sunday paper, and is the perfect fusion of the medium’s history and future.
Current and past issues of Diamond comics can be found online at Last Gasp.
