The Return of New Alternative and Small Press Comix Arrivals (July)

Well, after some adventures in North Carolina, diversions into superhero land, and a healthy dose of writers block/impostor syndrome we are back and devoted more than ever to the self-published self expression side of comics with an "x".

1. YouTube channel: I spotlighted a haul from Last Gasp on my still new channel (more to come, including my Top 25 Superhero list)

2. Arc Festival is coming to London July 11-12, Broken Frontier is publicising the show with a great series of reviews and interviews from indefatigable Editor-in-chief, Andy Oliver! This looks to be closer in spirit to a U.S. small press show, including some well-known show staples from over here (A.T. Pratt, ffs):

Big Comic For Boy by Andres Magan

Alas by Sajan Rai

Ferry Gouw interview

Dot Comics 1 by A.T. Pratt

Filth from Underground Comix Kingdom

Colossive Cartographies 71(!) by Matt Canning

Absolute Cinema and Other Stories by Joe Stone

Built For Love by Shri Gunasekara

Linnea Sterte interview

Not a part of Arc, Lindsay Pereira continues chronicling the work of blog favourites Lily Thu and Generoso Fiero:

The Interpretant, Absolute Simultaneity Chua Inversion

3. Canon Fodder Books Bring David Enos to the U.S. and Canada!

I had just received Canon #7, when I found this tiny package in the mail from Colin Blanchette. WTF, I thought. It was a real surprise to find an actual comic published by Blanchette, let alone a new David Enos one! I remember Enos from ComicKkrakk's YouTube channel when he showed off two remarkably, elegantly creepy comics by Enos: Batman is Lost in the Woods and Whispered Words. ComicKkrakk and Blanchette discuss the story behind this joint publishing venture:

Order your copy here!

4. New (and old) Steven Solomon comics...

Steven Solomon

Steven Solomon has two books out since my last review of his work. I also interviewed  Solomon way back in Canon #4, he's been putting out some very high quality comics since then. The two latest releases being: Confessions of Student Zero (2025) and Too Many Ways of Seeing (2026). Last year's Confessions starts out with a cryptic discussion of Jim Steranko by Student Zero, starting what feels like an almost autobiographical tract touching on Solomon and his artistic influences (or, whatever the heck is the opposite of influence). Like past comics from him the sequential narrative is there, but it's the wild randomness of everything that makes me love Solomon's comics. We've got the further hijinx of Student Zero and Frank the Chimp eating comics and pizza and commenting on comics collecting and art teachers(?), though my favorite sequence is the two part "Complete On One Page A Two Panel Novel" which presents four two panel novels.  The captions, characters, and body parts burst out of the panels as Solomon crams as much as possible into each panel.

Too Many Ways of Seeing came out this year and is a collection of his weekly comic strips originally distributed by email. New girl Qwerty debuted in cameos in Confessions, but more than keeps up with Student Zero and Frank the Chimp in frenzied action here. I'm not sure if the weekly format is responsible or it's just Solomon's art progressing, but there is a bit of a plot here! The rhythm Solomon gets with these weekly strips is a nice change up from his older work, hopefully he continues with those email blasts for another book! Continuing his influences theme from Confessions I was delighted by the Neal Adams mantra at the end of the book. Adams has had so many hardcore "clones" over the years, you would never guess that one as an influence from looking at Solomon's work. Buy here

5. Domino Books New Arrivals 7/3 (remember some of these sell out quickly:

Utzy and Dusty: Crystal Pool by Josh Bayer (Newest Domino original)

Squanderlust #9 by Krusty Wheatfield

Dancing With the Sheyd by Rotem Ana Diamant

I, Candy by Ruby Carter

Before After; This Place Sucks So Much by Tana Oshima

The Art of Milt Gross edited by Paul C. Tumey

Brownfield Action Family #2 by Ted May

Devil's Grin #8 by Alex Graham

Bobbie Cadet by Juliette Collet

Clap Twice If You Think I'm a Funny Girl by Natalie Raskin

Eggtooth #1 #2 by M. Yaxam

Enframement by K. Written

The Horrors of Noroi Michiru and Ending Theme from Glacier Bay/Starfruit

Copacetic Comics Classics #1: Ogden Whitney

Numerous Concerns by Anthony Miller

Future Proof #1-#4; Wondrous Soul; The Incense Maker by Virginia Paine

The Interpretant by Lily and Generoso Fierro

Not new, but essential nonetheless: Tales From The Richy Vegas Psychoverse #1-#5; Richy Vegas Songbook #1 #2

6. Partners and Son New Arrivals 7/5:

Pear Shape by Nick Thorburn (Fantagraphics)

The Devil's Grin #8 by Alex Graham

Gar #1 by Mickey Zaccihilli

Grixly #73 #74 by Nate McDonough (Dan Elsen spotlight video on McDonough below)

Sir David Attenburrow's Human Mating Rituals by Vincent Kings

Upstate #1-#5 by Stephen Pellnat

Squall by Brett Aube

Swan Song; Reading in the Club; With You, Without You by Hannah Johnston

Rat King by Paulie Wenger, Francesca Carita, Gonzalo Duarte

Bobbie Cadet by Juliette Colette

Sometimes All the Time by Tara Booth (2d Cloud)

Fish and Water by Gengoroh Tagame (translator: Anne M. Ishii)

7. Comics Blogger Empire New Arrivals 7/3:

Comics Blogger Books:

Medium by Rae Whitlock

Comics Blogger #16 by Thomas Campbell (Nick Bunch interview)

Before After by Tana Oshima (new printing)

Distribution:

Bobbie Cadet by Juliette Colette

Wishbone #1 by Nate Garcia

Spay #1 #2 by Winona Guro

8. Avery Hill Publishing has been regularly crowdfunding some of their new releases on Kickstarter. I don't back many of them, but the current campaign for a collection of Kristyna Baczynski's self-published and early published works (like the graphic novel, Retrograde Orbit, previously published by Avery Hill) looks incredible. At 256 pages of anthropomorphic goodness, I may have to give this one a try. Check it out here

9. Denver, CO distributor Wig Shop Webshop has a lot of New (to me) Releases, but I wanted to spotlight their Summer Sale with hardcovers and mini-comics by: Matt Lock, Simon Hanselmann, Tony Millionaire, Dave Cooper, Chris Harnan, Anders Nilsen, Nicole Rodrigues, Mary Kelly, Andy Barron, Quinn Amacher, and 29 others. Lots of imports.

10. New release from Chris Cajero Cilla...

Patreon

Scum Wizard is the newest Patreon serialized comic from Chris Cilla shipped out last week. Twenty pages including color covers personally screenprinted by Cilla himself. Look for copies to show up on Domino in the near future!

MARKET REPORT: I'm not a collector, but I do love studying underground comix listings on eBay. Occasionally, I come across the odd item that I don't know whether to be pissed about, or proud to see! Given the outrageous prices attached to mini-comics from the 70s and 80s on the collector's market, it was only inevitable we would eventually see these ephemeral pamphlets encased in plastic under the auspices of the CGC.

ebay

Published by Joel Milke in 1977, other contributors were Doug Hansen, George Erling, Scott Shaw!, Larry Rippee, Ted Richards, William Stout, and others.

ebay

This is Jane J.  Oliver's first self-published comic, it appeared in December 1977, the same month Dave Sun's Cerebus first appeared.

See you all next month...

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 Weird work schedule and lack of focus makes us a little late...

Video killed the blog star:

I started uploading a rundown of the list I submitted for Die With Your Mask On #3. More coming in April:

My Top 100-90

My Top 100 89-76

New SpeedPasteRobot Comix!

SpeedPasteRobot

The newest 20-page comic from Steven Solomon, which has been serialized by weekly email, is available now. here

More Cerebus Content Than You Can Possibly Consume in One Lifetime:

Our friend Colin Blanchette and one of the best representational artists ever in comics, Karl Stevens, collaborate on an in-depth examination of every issue of Dave Sim's Cerebus. It’s particularly fun learning about these early issues that I've never seen before.

Cerebus #8

GCD

AMOC

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AMOC

A Moment of Cerebus is one of my favourite blogs. They've been sharing a lot of "lost" Cerebus stories that weren't reprinted in those phone book trade paperbacks. The bibliographer in me is fascinated with this stuff. Miscellany Apocrypha Archive #4 Jam

A Periodic Check in With Aces Weekly:

acesweekly.co.uk

John Freeman profiles Volume 79(!) of the digital-only anthology edited by David (V for Vendetta) Lloyd Aces Weekly. I don't recognize any of the artists, but I'm curious to try this out someday.

Roberta Gregory's Naughty Bits Bombed:

Fantagraphics

The Beat reported on a ship thought to be carrying the entire print run of Roberta Gregory's Bitchy omnibus being struck by missiles while in route to the U.S. from India.

Classic Comic Strip Collections Spotlighted:

lulu.com

John Freeman profiles publisher Comic Strip Appreciation Group and their recent releases of Ella Cinders, Flyin' Jenny, and Scorchy Smith.

Fifty Flip Experiment #35 by Dan Hill:

50flipexperiment

Ryan Carey reviews Dan Hill's Fifty Flip Experiment #35 on his Patreon. Order here

Trevor Von Eeden New Artwork:

downthetubes

John Freeman profiles Trevor Von Eeden and two of his newest commissions, including one pictured above based on all-time favourite: Batman Annual #8.

Eric Kriek Gutsman Superhero Series:

Lambiek

This is surely a good subject for a future issue of Die With Your Mask On! A ten issue superhero series from Amsterdam-based cartoonist Eric Kriek. He is better known over here for his translated books: The Exile, In the Pines, The Pit. Order About the Artist

Remembering Wayne Howard:

GCD

Internet Archive

(Some Wild Children's Comics!)

Underrated Black cartoonist Wayne Howard was born March 29, 1949 in Cleveland, OH (he passed away in 2007 in Derby, Connecticut). He was one of the better (imho) acolytes of Wally Wood and was quite prolific for Charlton in the seventies. Charlton gave him an unprecedented spotlight in Midnight Tales 1-18, with the covers and two stories every issue drawn, lettered, and coloured by Howard (later issues were pretty much solo Howard efforts). Profile

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 Hard Core Drugs in Review:

Comic Fury

My latest review on Broken Frontier is unusual in covering a webcomic serialized online (I first read it on bluesky). Sleepyhouse2 is one of my favorite cartoonist discoveries last year. Read some more background on the characters in Hard Core Drugs in this Tumblr post.

Return of Inkstuds Podcast:

Inkstuds

Robin McConnell recently stopped in our favorite Canadian city: Winnipeg, Manitoba. They were on a tour of the country interviewing cartoonists for a history of Canadian comics. Nicholas (Super Shamou) Burns is the subject of this recent interview.

A Quarter Century With Joshua W. Cotter:

joshuawcotter.com

Joshua W. Cotter starts a series of posts on his rather incredible twenty-five years drawing comics. Part one, of many more we hope.

Nebraska Comix Legend Clark Dissmeyer at Poopsheet Foundation:

Poopsheet Foundation

New Arrival! An early Clark Dissmeyer-edited Newave comics anthology from 1981. Part of the George Erling collection at Poopsheet Foundation. Entry

Chris Cajero Cilla Movie Poster:

Patreon (detail)

Can you guess the movie Chris Cajero Cilla based this poster on? This tiny detail is my favorite part of the image, and gives a clue what event the poster touts. Join Cilla's Patreon to keep up to date on his latest work.

Nik Dirga on King Hell Heroica:

Amazon

Nik Dirga writes on the impending conclusion of Rick Veitch's "King Hell Heroica" cycle of superhuman stories. Started in 1990 with the brutal Bratpack series, the fifth and final chapter of the epic is the only part left unpublished. Read here

Lew Stringer New Issue of Brickman:

downthetubes

You may remember Brickman from the 80s, published by Harrier. This new series is self-published by Stringer and profiled by John Freeman

Comics Watch List:

Sunday Chat regulars ComicKkrakK and LahRasa are joined by Colin Blanchette to discuss his Top 100 Best Superhero Comics list. A highlight of the conversation is getting so much background on LahRasa's beginnings of reading and collecting comics, and also her very bold personal Top 10 superhero comics! A star-studded lineup in the live chat, as well!

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Andy Oliver Reviews All the Comics, All the Time:

Broken Frontier

Editor, publisher, iron man. Andy Oliver has written all but one review for the Broken Frontier site during the month of February! An incredible feat! Guess I'd better get back to writing that review...

Brad Curry vs. Kurt Snooze-iek:

Brad Curry

Brad Curry was a very entertaining guest of Colin Blanchette, discussing the Top 100 Best Superhero Comics list. Brad had Grand Electric Thought Power Mother by Lale Westvind and Jimbo by Gary Panter at #1 and #2 on his personal list! I'm an admirer of both, although I did not consider either superhero comics when making my own list. However, from Brad's perspective of both being an extrapolation of modern myth-making, I would have changed my mind (at least in Jimbo, as I haven't read a lot of Westvind's work). This consideration opens up a whole new avenue for alternative comics being outside of genre conventions, but still being studied along with complimentary genre work.

New Chris Cajero Cilla Book Cover:

Back

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Front

Underworld Amusements has Baron Munchausen's Narrative with this beautiful full colour wraparound cover by the one and only, Chris Cajero Cilla! Source: Patreon

The Mysterious Gato/Ronald Vincens II:

Poopsheet Foundation

From the George Erling collection: A mini-comics artist from Hawaii who disappeared under cryptic circumstances. 

Kevin Huzienga Subscription Drive:

Get a years worth of Kevin Huzienga's comics through his website, or his Patreon. Here

Stephen Bissette's Tyrant Returns:

Comic Book Yeti

Coming soon to Kickstarter from Jim Rugg, Chris Stevens, and Lighthouse Comics! Stephen Bissette's classic Tyrant series returns in both a collected edition and original art edition. Sign up here to be notified on launch.

Late Stage Harvey Kurtzman:

Bud's Art Books

Bud's Art Books

Bud's Art Books

Bud's Art Books

Both: GCD

Comix Reading List:

armstrongbiggs.com

A wonderful crime story with an unusual art style, reviewed by Broken Frontier editor Andy Oliver. online version

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The 100 Best Superhero Comics Project by Colin Blanchette, Alex Eklund, and Chris Russ:

Art: Kevin Newburn

Last year, I was part of a group of eleven folks who contributed to a list of their personal choices for Top 100 superhero comics in history. The final list was recently released here.

Editor Colin Blanchette conducted interviews with a number of list makers this past week:

Jeremy Stone

Ray Carcases

Ryan Carey

Jake Zawlacki

And, you can hear my incoherent rambling on my YouTube debut (much thanks to Donald Rex, ChaosandComics, and ComicKkrakK for joining us on the live chat!) here

Fantagraphics Books Facsimile Edition of their Naughty Bits:

Fantagraphics

Keep your Silver and Bronze Age superhero retreads, we want to see your Naughty Bits! This was my favourite single artist anthology of the 90s. Wonderfully expressive art and funny situational comedy. Preorder

Steven Solomon aka. SpeedPasteRobot Serialized Newest Comic via Email:

SpeedPasteRobot

We are big fans of SpeedPasteRobot from our Bluesky days. While we aren't on any socials currently, it's been great getting a weekly email preview of his next comic. What a wonderful, angst-free way to experience the wild world of Solomon. Check it out here

Caroline Cash Completes First Month of Nancy Strips:

Nancy January 24, 2026

D.D. Degg of Daily Cartoonist shares a link to former The Comics Journal editor, Frank M. Young's review of Caroline Cash's take on classic comic strip character, Nancy. (sign-in required to read full article)

Hatch, Match, and Dispatch for February:

GCD

 

Michael Owen Carroll covers new titles and cancellations in the UK comics scene going back 130(!) years. The infamous Action weekly is a particular highlight, as is the strange story of Epic Illustrated in the UK. Read here 

New Patrick Wray Short Story:

patrickwray.com

Patrick Wray  announces he has a short story in Chris Wade's Peculiar Tales #3.

same

Not only the return of Wray's hand-painted t-shirts, but this one has a great story behind it!

New Jim Aparo Biography From TwoMorrows:

TwoMorrows

I've never checked out one of these TwoMorrows cartoonist biographies, but I'm tempted with this one as it goes all the way back to his Charlton days. press release

Comics Watch List:

Killer tour and history of the Billy Ireland Museum by Caitlin McGurk, can't recommend this one highly enough.

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Canon Lionizes Fantagraphics for 50th:

Canon

It's the 50th anniversary of the most innovative and contentious comics company ever. I don't think a publisher has been the subject of more love and hate than Fantagraphics, admittedly it's equal parts love and indifference for my forty-ish year affair with them! Colin Blanchette and Alex Eklund come up with a very well thought out "50 Things I Love About Fantagraphics". There were actually a few new things to me: Fantagraphics first on the scene with Artist Editions, the Eros Comics 900 number, The Seven Hills Fundraiser. We know Colin and Alex are acolytes of the Church of Impenetrable Prose for including the wonderful Kenneth Smith on their list! order here

Another Gem From the Bill Fitts Collection:

Poopsheet Foundation

I've really been enjoying these drops from Bill Fitts and Rick Bradford on Poopsheet Foundation. This is a rare one from famous homeless Berkeley cartoonist, B.N. Duncan.

Complete Peanuts Hardcovers Being Reissued:

Fantagraphics

After a large drop of Peanuts reissues in January, The Complete Peanuts Volume 17 hardcover edition is being re-released February 14th.

Garth Ennis Johnny Red Reboot Available in Collected Editions:

Treasury of British Comics

I presume these come from the new Battle Action anthologies, this is the second of two collections by Garth Ennis and the brilliant aviation artist, Keith Burns. A rare treat for war comics fans. preview order

Take the Piss, You Nutter!

downthetubes

A more dignified statement has been issued by one of the most respected comics journalists, disputing recent comments by a disgraced charity comics hustler. Read the full story here

Legend Bill Schanes Purchases Legendary Bud Plant Operations:

majorspoilers

Formerly of Pacific Comics, Diamond Distributors, and countless other comics related endeavors, Bill Schanes has purchased all the rights to Bud's Art Books online catalog and warehouse. Also coming on board is Marty Grosser, well-known as editor of the defunct Previews monthly catalog, who will be taking over Bud Plant's duties. The Beat downthetubes 

Tim Vigil Spotlight:

Poopsheet Foundation

Double Paradox Publications #4, a rare fanzine appearance by Tim Vigil (signature dated 1983)

Underworld Collectibles

From a few years later, a California-based fanzine from 1985 featuring a Vigil cover

Rowley Zero channel flipping through all three issues of Vigil's Omen series from Northstar.

Worthpoint

Fantastic Fables 2 uncirculated title, I remember seeing this on the kochcomics ebay store for years. Better find out who bought their comics inventory!

Kickstarter

 

A 2025 project from Vigil collecting the 90s series Gothic Nights, plus bonus material, that was successful on kickstarter

Underworld Collectibles is an older site offering (at one time, anyway?) Tim Vigil commissions and signed items, check out this list of Vigil comics and fill out your mycomicshop want list!

Tim Vigil on Shunga Gallery Erotic Art Magazine

Vigil's official instagram patreon accounts

Comic Art Fans

Vigil original art on artnet anthony's comic art comic art fans td art gallery romitaman

Comics Watch List: Chaos and Comics:

Chaos and Comics released a flurry of new videos last year that I missed, please take a look if you were stupid like me and missed them the first time. My favorite is the Last Gasp haul, and talking about Pageant by Justin Gradin.

My Latest Review on Broken Frontier:

Amazon

It's always difficult for me to review Steve Willis comix, nonetheless here's my take on his classic take on Hamlet. Newly, and respectfully, collected in one volume by Tom Fellrath.