Five Highlights From The Comics Journal #40

 

Front cover: Mike Nasser/Bob Layton

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Back cover: Howard Bender/Joe Sinnott

both covers TCJ Archive

THE COMICS JOURNAL #40 (June 1978)

Executive Editor/Art Director: Gary Groth

Editor/Circulation Director: Kim Thompson

Distributors: Bud Plant (Green Valley, CA), Phil Seuling (Brooklyn, NY), Well News Service (Columbus, OH).

1. TOM SUTTON, THE UNKNOWN ARTIST by Kim Thompson

"Sutton is unique, and that is already, as far as I'm concerned, a strong point in his favor; he cannot be conveniently nudged into any pigeonhole, artistically or historically. His influences are legion, and his art has gone through so many changes that it is difficult to believe that what he was doing ten years ago and what he is doing now is the work of the same man. He has tried all genres, worked for all the major companies, and left behind an incredible array of bizarre and personal visions. He is a true original."

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DOCTOR STRANGE 29

Marvel Unlimited

Thompson sums up Tom Sutton perfectly in one paragraph, and does a great job giving a capsule history of Sutton's career up to 1978 (he had a couple more decades in him). I love the depth to which Thompson goes describing two now forgotten Marvels, he was so good at tearing apart mainstream comics in these early Journals. While Thompson pulls no punches on his thoughts on DOCTOR STRANGE #29 and MARVEL PREMIERE #41: SEEKER 3000, this comes off, in hindsight, as a nice tribute to Sutton.

Detail: SEEKER 3000 page 10

Comic Art Fans

2. ART SPIEGELMAN: FROM MAUS TO NOW by John Benson

 "At some future time it may well become apparent that Art Spiegelman is perhaps the most innovative talent of the comics form in this decade."

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Original 1977 edition

GCD

A rare glimpse of the perception of the pre-RAW Art Spiegelman through a review of BREAKDOWNS by John Benson. I know John Benson more as the longtime editor of SQUA TRONT, here he proves more than capable as a reviewer. It's quite unique to compare Art Spiegelman and Harvey Kurtzman, as he does towards the end of the article.

Most recent edition

Pantheon

3. DOC'S BOOKSHELF: FAR AWAY IS CLOSE AT HAND IN IMAGES OF ELSEWHERE by Dwight R. Decker

Dwight Decker's trip to East and West Germany and London in December 1977 recounted in comics and books! Following are some of the books discussed or bought by Decker (approximately, of course):

flickr

all GCD

Just for fun here's the issue of PERRY RHODAN Decker bought to identify himself to his friend:

isfdb.org

4. OLD PROS AND SAFETY PINS: UNDERGROUND COMIX IN 1977 by Bill Sherman

 "For many young comix people the solution has been to print their own books. By necessity the majority of the[s]e are modest in scope, but that doesn't seem to bother anyone. As in the current rock scene --where locally produced EPs by new bands have proliferated wondrously-- the young punk comix have small print-runs and a small spirit. Thanks to the relative accessibility of small-scale print shops four and eight-page books (8 1/2 x 11-inch sheets folded in the middle) have begun popping up with greater frequency. (Even a comics critic can produce one.) It's a healthy trend: everybody in showbiz."

Bill Sherman does an overview of underground comix in what is thought of as a dead period for the form, he puts to rest that fallacy with a rare look at circulation numbers for comix. These are fascinating for the fact they match up with circulation numbers for alternative titles, like LOVE AND ROCKETS, from a decade later. My interest is the early days of alternative self-published comics that would grow into Newave comix in the 80s, which Sherman likens to regional punk rock in the US. Pictured are these very rare titles mentioned in the article:

Four from Poopsheet Foundation

pf Mini Mart

GCD

5. MARILYN BETHKE WATCH: 

FANDOM REVIEW: RBCC by Marilyn Bethke

Marilyn Bethke is one of my favorite critics from the early days of the Journal, intelligent, diligent, and open-minded. Her "Fandom Review" series was infamous for critically approaching all of the Journal's rivals in the comics-oriented magazine/tabloid field. RBCC was a slick fanzine very much the brainchild of editor/publisher James Van Hise. Bethke analyzes a half dozen regular columns from more than 20 past issues (including an evisceration of future Journal columnist R.C. Harvey). She also picks out a best (#134) and worst (#139) to review as complete issues. I think it's a very fair evaluation of the overall standards and contents of James Van Hise's magazine.

(Issues of RBCC mentioned in the article: 102 116 118 119 121 122 123 125 126 128 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 139 140 141)

Poopsheet Foundation

All illustrations posted for historical purposes only.