Like so many others from my old days on long dead Comics Twitter, ComicKkrakk has been a big influence on, not just my comic reading habits, but my attitude toward comics and media and life in general. We salute you!
ComicKkrakk art
My earliest "liked" video on YouTube was this comics roundtable with ComicKkrakk, LahRasa, sleepyreader666, and (debuting) earlgrey862. The former two still continue this format to this day:
sleepyreader666, 5/9/21
Here's a favorite recent installment of ComicKkrakK's long-running "Sunday Wrap" series where he discusses his comics, music, TV, and movie consumption from the previous week:
ComicKkrakk
Did you know that ComicKkrakk's secret identity, Terence Fuller of Winnipeg, Manitoba, is a polymath active in the film, music, and radio industries (he's also an artist, as well)? Check out the links below:
SIX, count 'em, six books of terminally out-of-print Steve Willis material! All published by Tom Fellrath of Phoenix Productions. These are all on my list to be reviewed, if you are a reviewer as well you should contact Fellrath. Or, purchase from amazon (available on other country's amazon sites, as well)
all amazon
Sean Kleefeld Year End Round-up Crasher:
Kleefeld on Comics
Some people crash weddings, Sean Kleefeld crashed The Beat's year end creator survey! Love it. Read Kleefeld's responses here.
Venerable underground comix publisher Last Gasp has been publishing some wild Manga translations recently. I believe a Barefoot Gen Omnibus, Ultra Heaven Volume 3, and more Suehiro Maruo are coming in 2026...
Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum 2025 Donations Round-up:
The Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum at Ohio State University received so many great donations this past year. Here are a few highlights that stood out to me:
1) Willy Murphy collection including a sketchbook, original art for his underground comix, and miscellaneous archival items.
2) Joshua Cotter collection including original cover art for Skyscrapers of the Midwest and a sketchbook containing all the original art for Drive by Lemons.
3) Emily Flake original art for the Lulu Eightball alternative weekly strip.
4) Other pieces of original art by: Ron Rege Jr., Kevin Huzienga, Brian Ralph, Jessica Abel, Ted Stearn, Ho Che Anderson, and J.R. Williams.
5) Unspecified donations from cartoonists Stephen Bissette, Terry Laban, and Frank Santoro.
Comix Reading List:
Closing out the year catching up on Richard Sala (on Comixology Unlimited and Hoopla) and his work, all are well worth your time. Is it just me or did he become a bit of a dirty old man? Just saying, lot of young (sometimes naked) women running around those later books. Not that I mind!
Ubiquitous Crowdfunding Spotlight:
Kickstarter
It was great to come across this campaign for a comprehensive omnibus of Brian Kirk's Ubiquitous Funnies mini-comics. He has an immediately recognizable style and there's only $99 to go with a January 30th deadline. Check out the campaign here!
Mail Call! It's always a special day when a new comic arrives from beautiful Brooklyn, NY. Order your copy here. More thoughts on this one in the new year.
Melinda Gebbie New Book:
Knockabout
John Freeman reports on a new career-spanning retrospective by one of the more original artists to ever grace a comix page, the one and only Melinda Gebbie. Ordering information on the Knockabout site. I was permanently scarred by her story in Slow Death #7, by turns abstract, violent, political:
Erik Amaya writes on comicon.com about an obscure, untranslated Manga series by legendary creator Shotaro Ishinomori (Cyborg 900, Kamen Rider). Last Gasp, Nakama, Bubbles, Strangers, Smudge, Anyone?
Peter Bosch at 13th Dimension celebrates the 100th anniversary of Warren Tufts birthday with a large selection of Casey Ruggles and Lance art, as well as his super rare late career work in humor comics and animation.
Ines Estrada Has a Blog:
inechi.com
See Canon Zine #6 for my profile of Estrada, but we didn't talk much about the new edition of Alienation released a few months ago. It was great to hear of this blog from Estrada. There is a very long process post on the new book that is essential reading for comix creators and readers, as well.
Tom Tomorrow was in Iowa Yesterday:
Kickstarter
Tom Tomorrow is a bit like Charles Schulz, in that I don't recall a time when his comic "This Modern World" wasn't around. The Daily Cartoonist ran a post of a profile of Dan Perkins (aka Tom Tomorrow) in an Iowa alternative newspaper, Little Vilage. I would have lost a bet if someone told me Tom Tomorrow grew up in Iowa City!
Year in Review at Neoglyphic Media:
A recent newsletter detailed Cullen Beckhorn's last year publishing, including the Alive Outside anthology, globe-trotting in support of that and various exhibitions, and also publishing a number of books including their latest, Matthew Thurber's Looking For the Cat #7.
Jeff Nicholson Not Dead, Still Talented:
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Classic Colonia
GCD
New Colonia
Amazon
It was a great surprise finding a new interview with Jeff Nicholson, conducted by Jason Bergman, up on The Comics Journal site! Even more exciting was the news he would be finishing his Colonia series after a two decade break.
It's not ideal but still nice to seeing, in my opinion anyway, small press and independent cartoonists using the Amazon framework to distribute their work. You can purchase the entire Colonia series digitally here.
Heidi MacDonald at The Beat reports that pioneering publisher of English-language translations of French graphic novels (their first two releases pictured above), NBM, has been sold to Ablaze. NBM will continue as a sub imprint of Ablaze with founder Terry Nantier continuing to put together future releases.
Hard Core Drugs Comes to an End:
Sleepyhouse2 finished one of my favorite comics of 2025 recently! Read for yourself online.
Lucy Sullivan "A Right Old Mess":
According to On the Hush Quarterly #9: Lucy Sullivan's next book, Mother's Ruin, will be coming out Fall 2027 from Avery Hill! Sullivan has been working on this follow-up to Early Doors for several years now. "I've resisted [watercolor] as a medium for a long time as I'm such a clumsy artist and usually end up making a right old mess." For updates on Mother's Ruin and WIP subscribe to her newsletter.
A1/Deadline #1
The new mashup of two classic UK anthology series, was (if I understand correctly) originally going to feature four pages from Tales From the Quarantine, but due to circumstances we are getting a new collaboration between Fraser Campbell and Lucy Sullivan! For more information on the magazine check out the campaign page
Peter Milligan Interviewed on New 2000 A.D. Serial:
Comic Book Yeti
Nicely done interview at Comic Book Yeti (conducted by Andrew Irvin) with Peter Milligan and Kieran McKeown, who are collaborating on "Discarded" that will be running in the pages of 2000 A.D. beginning with Prog 2463.
We'll Be Back January 5th:
I do not like the holiday season, but put on a brave face for the fam. However, I'm not made of stone, Nat King Cole is a particular favorite this time of year:
1. NEWSWATCH: Undergrounds by Bruce Sweeney (Clay Geerdes uncredited)
There's a ton of mini-comics listed this month. Much thanks to Poopsheet Foundation for having cover reproductions of most of these rare comics (all images from PF, unless where indicated)
mycomicshop
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comixjoint
comicbookrealm
eBay
2. MARILYN BETHKE WATCH: Criticism vs. Analysis and An Interview With Howard Chaykin
Marilyn Bethke (along with ten other Journal critics) responds to Paul Levitz's essay from the previous issue. Bethke's response starts thusly:
"Paul Levitz has certainly made some valid points in his article. The kind of analysis within a historical frame of reference he refers to is clearly lacking in fan writing and would provide 'fans' and 'pros' with a thorough, working knowledge and background in comics art. Very little has been done in this area, and as a fairly young medium, comics could only benefit from scrupulous and scholarly commentary. But, and this is the important question, is it criticism? I think not."
Marilyn Bethke conducts one of the most awkward interviews in Journal history, with a pissed off Gary Groth conducting a follow-up interview.
3. WILDMAN & RUBBEROY vs. SPEED ALIEN by Grass Green (Eddie Eddings inks) 7 pages
4. UNDERGROUND COMIX: Sympathy for the Groundlevel by Bill Sherman
"Groundlevel" is an outdated term from the late 70s, coined before the term "independent" comics became more prevalent in the 80s. It refers to the, then either nascent or nebulous, genre comics mixed with the creator-owned ethos of the undergrounds. Think Byron Preiss, Heavy Metal, Cerebus, or Eclipse at this time.
Sherman examines one forgotten, Hot Stuf', and one well-known, Star*Reach, example of this term. I liked this bit of obscure history from the end of Sherman's column pointing to what may have happened to a lot of these Groundlevel titles.
Leave it to the Hercules Petix YouTube channel to show us inside Hot Stuf' 5-8:
5. SUSPENDED ANIMATION: The New Japanese Invasion by Jim Korkis
This is a sequel, of sorts, to "Suspended Animation: Metamorphoses: The Greeks Must Have Had a Word for It" from TCJ #42. Korkis gives an update on Metamorphoses and talks more about Japanese animation ied to the United States during the 60s and 70s. It was fascinating to learn more about Osamu Tezuka's history in animation, in particular. Korkis recounts Tezuka's visit to Los Angeles, and meeting an important anime proponent whose name comics fans may recall: Fred Patten.
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