My Comics Reading List: Zomoid Illustories

50. ZOMOID ILLUSTORIES (3-D ZONE, 1989)

I recently saw this on a Comic Book Manifesto haul video, and thought it funny we both bought such an obscure comic from the same online retailer.

This reprints eight full issues of ZOMOID ILLUSTORIES, one excerpt, and (I believe) a new cover by Carol Lay. Also a historical essay by Ray Zone and Dale Luciano's interview with him from THE COMICS JOURNAL.

According to Ray Zone these were xeroxed four-pagers made by folding an 8 1/2 × 11 sheet of paper in half and letting the artist (sometimes anonymously) do whatever they wanted with the space.

The best of the selection here (imho) is the Gary Panter id explosion over four pages. I love Panter's comics and this is prime 80s work from him, some dense automatic abstract narrative. 

It's great to get a chance to see some of the early alternative mini-comics that are direct antecedents of what we see at Domino Books today.

My Comics Reading List #6

 My second round of Silver Sprocket reads borrowed from the Hoopla Digital app:

45. MAGICAL BEATDOWN VOLUME #1 by Jenn Woodall

Holy crap! This is fucking brutal.

46. GOLDEN RECORD by Rosemary Valero-O'Connell

47. RITUALS by Nicole Goux

The above two are basically art books, although both have their own kind of narrative tying the incredible images together.

48. FUNGIRL: VULVA VIKING by Elizabeth Pich

Pich is keeping the spirit of classic underground comix alive and well. If you aren't simultaneously disgusted and laughing, you aren't the audience for this book.

49. MONTANA DIARY by Whit Taylor

I've always wanted to try Whit Taylor's autobiographical comics, and I wasn't disappointed. Clear line art and a compelling, in a lofi way, storyline.

My Comics Reading List: Wash Day Diaries

44. WASH DAY DIARIES by Jamila Rowser and Robyn Smith (Libby app)

I love, love, love this book! The writing and art really push the limits of what narrative comics can do. My favorite chapter, however, is "Bright Side". Spoilers: The slow reveal of Davena's struggle with mental illness is subtly and respectfully handled. I was nearly in tears as she finally, somewhat reluctantly, reveals this to her friend Cookie.

This is such a masterclass in precise storytelling and letting body language and facial expressions tell the story.

I also enjoyed the vibrant coloring on the "Group Chat" chapter...

I could go on and on, but just go read the book!

New Comics in March Part Two

THE FLOATING BRIDGE #3 by Rob Churm and Malcy Duff

image from Churm Books

Tip from KUS!

PARTNERSANDSON.COM NEW ARRIVALS 3/15:

DEMON MANN IN HELL by Aidan Mitchell

DEMON MANN TWO by Aidan Mitchell 

DEMON MANN THREE by Aidan Mitchell 

all images from Partners and Son 

QUIMBYS.COM NEW ARRIVALS AS OF 3/18:

BRAIN SCHOOL by Jam Doughty

image from instagram

YELLOW HOUSE by David Hankins

image from Atomic Books

HUEY #3: HUEY'S DAY by Levi Friedman

NOT PICTURED: COMIQUE #1 by Bart Laube,  HELL CRIME #1 by Ralph Hooten, and BUGS and LAZER ATTACK #1 by David Hankins.

DOMINOBOOKS.ORG NEW ARRIVALS AS OF 3/20:

CYANIDE SWAMP from Reptile House

GHOST SICKNESS by Ariel Cooper

CASTLE OF THE BEAST by Ariel Cooper

ICYMI! Restocks from organ.fail:

BOTTOM OF THE PAGE FINDS. Always make sure to go all the way to the end of the Domino page. You may find a lost classic from Sparkplug Books:

THE GOLEM OF GABIROL by Olga Volozova

My Comics Reading List: THE HIGH DESERT

43. THE HIGH DESERT by James Spooner (Libby app)

I just finished reading THE HIGH DESERT by James Spooner. I was a little wary when I started, as on the surface it seems like another well-intentioned poorly-executed graphic memoir. Nothing could be further from the truth. Art and story come together perfectly for this intense narrative. 

The author as a teenage punk, making his way through a year in the California high desert and high school. 

He, thankfully, never falls back on cliche or melodrama. He portrays himself as a real person throughout. I came to empathize with all the characters throughout the story, although not necessarily like them.

Another layer is the soundtrack, with song lyrics accentuating most scenes. Love this music, but even more so Spooner's historical grounding of the music.

I recommend this to all the punks out there, and anyone who had some rough teenage years.

Broken Frontier in Review 3/19

It's been a month or so since we last checked in on Broken Frontier, and Andy Oliver and Company have been very busy!

IMAGE! 30TH ANNIVERSARY ANTHOLOGY #10 reviewed by Andy Oliver

Zoe Thorogood and Gustaffo Vargas contributions this issue

RITUALS reviewed by Andy Oliver

Nicole Goux

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MOMOTEKKU reviewed by Andy Oliver

Alxndra Cook

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THE COLA POP CREEMEES: OPENING ACT reviewed by Andy Oliver

Desmond Reed

Previews World coming April 12th

Ray Carcases interviews Desmond Reed here

THE MAGIC NECKLACE reviewed by Andy Oliver

Claire Napier

Not publicly available, check the link above for future ordering information 

THE FOREST reviewed by Andy Oliver

Thomas Ott

product page out of stock

For the Love of Comics examines the work of Thomas Ott here

THE COLLECTED JOHN G. MILLER 2000-2011 reviewed by Tom Baker 

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Ed Pinsent on John G. Miller

STANDING OUTSIDE THE STATION, SWEATING reviewed by Andy Oliver

Alex Potts

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THE LAST GUIDE TO LITERARY CONFLICT YOU'LL EVER NEED reviewed by Andy Oliver

Rachelle Meyer

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ALICE ON THE RUN reviewed by Andy Oliver 

Gaspard Talmasse

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UGLY MUG #6 reviewed by Andy Oliver 

House of Harley

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SHELTER: EARLY DOORS review by Rebecca Burke 

Lucy Sullivan

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FRACTURES review by Andy Oliver 

A Wolfgang Crowe

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YES, I'M HOT IN THIS review by Andy Oliver 

Huda Fahmy

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BABY review by Andy Oliver 

Patrick Kyle

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LIQUID REALM #2 review by Andy Oliver

Samuel Hickson

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HARVEY KNIGHT'S ODYSSEY review by Lindsay Pereira 

Nick Maandag

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A DAY ON THE RIVER (AND OTHER STORIES) review by Andy Oliver 

Giorgio Pandiani

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Watching Comics: Comic Kkrakk Lockdown Edition

 I've been trolling Terence Fuller's archives on YouTube and found some great stuff from 2020, before I officially ran across him and "comics youtube" on twitter.

First up, an epic haul video entailing a comics trade with Greg Harder. He is the Joseph Koch of Canada (beautiful Winnipeg, to be more specific), owning a warehouse with a million plus comics floor to ceiling. Terence shares a video that shows Greg and the inside of the warehouse.

This was a real surprise, SleepyReader666 pops in for a chat with Comic Kkrakk early in the pandemic for maybe the first time. Stick around until the end when SleepyReader666 pulls out an absolutely incredible haul from Floating World Comics and Cosmic Monkey! Ryan C. of Ryan C.'s Four Color Apocalypse joins in the live comments, and LahRasa pops in at the very end, as well.

So, I first encountered Comic Kkrakk, LahRasa, and SleepyReader666 after seeing their Sunday live chat posted on twitter, I believe, late in 2020. That was my tentative introduction to "comics youtube". Above is the earliest chat I could find between Comic Kkrakk and LahRasa on either of their channels. What a great influence those three have had on my comic collecting mentality since then.