Tag Archives: comics

Book Report

Best American Comics 2010

By Clifton Burt | Published: October 18, 2010

Graphic selections from the best of the best.

There’s a book that’s a required addition to our household library each year, it’s The Best American Comics annual which is a part of the Best American series from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. You might think from that description that I’m a comics devotee. I’m not. There’s actually only one kind of comic that I like: the well-vetted. The Best American Comics annual vets better than anyone by bringing in guest editors such as Harvey Pekar, Chris Ware, Lynda Barry, Charles Burns, and this year’s Neil Gaiman to sift through pamphlets, zines, online comics, and publications of all kinds. The Best American Comics 2010 represents a selection of outstanding work published in North America between September 1, 2008 and August 31, 2009. It presents 25 of the very best examples of the year in comics. Read More »

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Print Matters

Virtual Print

By Aidan Koch | Published: August 31, 2010

Comics aren't just books anymore.

While the experience of reading comics online can never replace the joy of holding a freshly printed book in your hands, web comics have existed just about as long as the technology has been available to make them possible. They are particularly relevant for those of us whose jobs place us in front of computers for most of the day, bringing a little light to the systematic and repetitive existence entailed by such work.

While originally consisting primarily of shorts and daily funnies, you can now read a wide variety of comics online in different formats. Beyond the classics like Penny Arcade, the late Perry Bible Fellowship, and Slow Wave created by local Jesse Recklaw, here’s a sampling of some of my favorite sites to browse.

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Fresh Ink

Tim Hensley’s Black Light Print

By Aidan Koch | Published: August 19, 2010

A few months ago, I saw Daniel Clowes speak at Powell’s Books here in Portland, and he proclaimed that the best comic he had read recently was Tim Hensley’s Wally Gropius. I’d seen parts of Hensley’s Gropius in Fantagraphic’s quarterly MOME anthology, and have definitely been wanting more. Today I ran into this awesome Hensley print on the FAMILY blog and it is too good. His classic American style and bright exaggerated coloring lends itself perfectly to the graphic nature of silkscreen prints, black light to boot!

Title: I–I Can’t!
Item: Blacklight screenprinted poster (with flocking)
Artist: Tim Hensley
Printer: PictureBox Inc.
Available: $50 online

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Print Matters

The Bible Illuminated: R. Crumb’s Book of Genesis

By Aidan Koch | Published: August 12, 2010

R. Crumb at the Portland Art Museum

Portlanders: anyone who has not gotten the chance to go see The Bible Illuminated: R. Crumb’s Book of Genesis at the Portland Art Museum needs to go soon. Rarely have comics met with the walls of museums, but this show marks a new and well-deserved turn. The book took Crumb over four years to render and it is filled with his trademark scratchy, exaggerated characters and cross-hatched detail.  It’s wonderful to look at all the pages up close and see his pen work, the waviness of the paper, and the dabs of white-out all over. It’s a truly unique experience because as you examine the pieces, you can’t help but get sucked into reading the text as well. Though the museum’s layout for the show is not the easiest to follow, you can always get the 224 page book if you’re itching to delve into it a little bit more.

The exhibit runs until September 19th. Tickets are $12 for adults or try and catch “Free Fourth Friday Night” at the museum on August 27 from 5-8pm. More information at www.portlandartmuseum.org.

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Book Report

Comics Mastr

By Aidan Koch | Published: August 4, 2010

Publications by CF.

The artist CF (Christopher Forgues) is a truly notable character in the comics world today. Hailing from the Providence, RI/Fort Thunder scene of the late 1990′s, he’s produced a number of works including the series Low Tide, as well as small zines like Core of Caligula (featured above) and the captivating graphic novels, Powr Mastrs 1 & 2, put out by PictureBox Inc. Not only are his drawings beautiful, but the unique design in the layout and panels has me flipping through his books every time I see one. I’m sure anyone who has read the first two Powr Mastrs will be thrilled to know that Number 3 is due out this September. Finally, the sci-fi/fantasy/abstract/metaphysical comic shall continue!

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Print Crush

Sparkplug Lights up!

By Aidan Koch | Published: July 29, 2010

The scene at Sparkplug HQ

I ventured out to deep Southeast Portland last week to see what I could learn about Dylan William’s Sparkplug Comic Books. I’ve known about Sparkplug for a while, always happily surprised when I pick up a new book and his logo is on the back. He produces a steady flow of books, as well as distributes others. He runs his business out of a shop called the Bad Apple in Southeast Portland, next door to the always delightful Guapo Comics. Here’s a little of what I found out.

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Book Report

The Best American Comics Criticism

By Clifton Burt | Published: June 24, 2010

Title: The Best American Comics Criticism
Editor: Ben Schwartz
Publisher: Fantagraphics
Specs: 6″x9″, 360 pages, perfect bound

I think I like to read about comics more than I like to read them and I’m really looking forward to getting to work on this new book. “It’s the kind of volume that starts fights” says the Comics Reporter. There’s a lot to digest here, so I’ll pass the mic to Fantagraphics:

This chorus, as presented in The Best American Comics Criticism, comprises both criticism (Douglas Wolk on Frank Miller and Will Eisner, Robert C. Harvey on Fun Home, Donald Phelps on Steve Ditko and Phoebe Gloeckner) and history (David Hajdu on the 1950s comic-book burnings, Jeet Heer on Gasoline Alley, Ben Schwartz on Little Orphan Annie, Gerard Jones on the birth of the comic-book business), as well as revelatory peer-on-peer essays by novelists (Jonathan Franzen on Peanuts, John Updike on James Thurber) and cartoonists (Chris Ware on Rodolphe Töpffer, Clowes on Mad’s Will Elder, and Seth on John Stanley).

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Print Matters

There’s One In Your Town

By Aidan Koch | Published: June 24, 2010

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.

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Print Crush

One Man Job: Banner Year Press

By Aidan Koch | Published: June 8, 2010

Fadge, the first release from BT Livermore's Banner Year Press

BT Livermore is a pretty impressive artist. Not just for his passion, integrity, or artistic merit, but for his sheer business power. He’s equal parts entrepreneur and cartoonist. BT has been self-publishing zines and comics for years now and has never seen a reason to relinquish any of the labor to others because he can simply do it the most efficiently and precisely himself. He is now a master at DIY screen printing and book binding. He hopes to offer up these skills to others under his new venture, Banner Year Press.

I met up with BT across the street from his studio at Backspace to chat about his work.

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