Comix Reading List #5: Dave Sheridan Biography

 5. Dave Sheridan: Life With Dealer McDope, Leather Nun, and The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers (Fantagraphics Underground) Hoopla

It turns out Dave Sheridan drew part of the very first underground I owned, FREAK BROTHERS #4, although I didn't know that 35 years ago. This book collects all his best known work as far as I know. Like other Fantagraphics underground cartoonist collections this seems to be reproduced from the original art, which makes a big difference with the extremely detailed ink work of Dave Sheridan (and collaborator Fred Schrier), that reminds me of illustrators from the turn of the last century. This is definitely a wild ride, Sheridan may be remembered best for his Freak Brothers work but the surreal streak running through his other works is what I love the most about his work. I don't have any samples to share so you may want to check out this huge selection of original art offered by Galerie Laqua. Stunning.

FREAK BROTHERS #4 cover by Gilbert Shelton and Dave Sheridan (GCD):

Comix Reading List #4: The Best of Archie Comics Book Two

4. THE BEST OF ARCHIE COMICS BOOK TWO (Archie Comics) Libby app

There's so much to like across the long history of Archie Comics, be it the animated style of Harry Lucey and the Kennedy Brothers, or the GGA of Dan DeCarlo and Dan Parent. All can be found in this collection divided up into decades. You either drink the Archie Kool Aid, or you don't, no matter to me. But, I do think the work of Al Fagaly on SUPER DUCK is worth consideration by anyone interested in comics art or history. At first glance, Super Duck's design is influenced by the Carl Barks Ducks of the time. However, Fagaly takes the Good Duck Art of Barks, and turns up the ugly and angry knob almost to underground comix levels. The energy that Fagaly brings to his storytelling is unprecedented, there's so much running, fighting, yelling, and pranking going on. If you have any prejudices towards the usual formulaic Archie fare, i hope you put those aside and give outlier Al Fagaly a shot.

Anger

Violence

Sex

New Alternative and Small Press Comix Arrivals (January Week 3)

1. Domino Books is going on hiatus from regular updates until tentatively this Summer, all orders placed during this time will still be fulfilled by owner Austin English. (Source: Domino Newsletter #15)

With permission, here's the first part of the press release from Domino Newsletter #15:

Remember, keep those orders coming folks!

2. For the moment, new stuff is still coming into Domino, including this Le Dernier Cri gem imported from France...

3. Loading the Canon has been making a lot of videos lately, of particular interest is this one showcasing art books by Simon Hanselmann and Portuguese artist Ze Burnay...

4. Another beautiful anthology of Mexican cartoonists from Gatoshop is EL TARANTULA #4...

5. Did you know Dutch publisher Scratch Books released a nice hardcover collection of all six issues of CHAD IN AMSTERDAM? (Gosh Comics London)

6. SPREAD LOVE COMIX #22 another issue of the international anthology (Aroha Trave sighting!) found at Atomic Books...

7. The long-running Mel Stringer series, FLOWERY, makes it's way to Ireland and Little Deer Comics...

8. Second Edition of Michael Furler's BARK BARK GIRL out from Peow (bluesky)

9. Forn De Calc #3 anthology from Spain edited by Marc Charles. 2nd edition with English translation included, I believe. (bluesky)

10. Veteran Comics YouTuber ComicKkrakk interviews artist Nate Doyle (CROOKED TEETH, DUNGEON MAGE)...

Nate Doyle links:

store CROOKED TEETH 6-9 in stock

site

Strangers DUNGEON MAGE #1. (or ask at your LCS that is serviced by Lunar)

Domino JAYWALK #3

BONUS: Ebay find sold by mostlygraphicnovels for $99.99 is David Lasky's OM #1 from 1995. Your favorite blogger's centerspread is buried under an avalanche of actual talent including: Jim Woodring, Roberta Gregory, John Porcellino, Jeff Zenick, Aleksandar Zograf, Steve Leach, and D.R. Boyle. (photos by eBay seller)

me (and Charles Schulz), reprinted by editor Lasky from my first-published mini-comic...

Comix Reading List #2 and #3: SCARY BOOK Volume 1 and Volume 3

SCARY BOOK VOLUME 1: REFLECTIONS (Dark Horse Comics) Library

SCARY BOOK VOLUME 3: FACES (Dark House Comics) Library 

These two hidden gems have been hiding in the library for years, someone must have stolen Volume 2 but that doesn't matter as there aren't any continuing characters in this early Kazuo Umezz series from 2006. The paper on these is pretty low quality, but with Umezz's bold style that doesn't affect the reading experience. 

Volume 1 has the intense story of a vain girl's reflection come to life, the twist is I ended up having more sympathy for the reflection rather than the real girl in the end. The second story is a horror take on "Lone Wolf and Cub" which was fun and completely over the top. 

Volume 3 is classic Umezz with TWO disfigured girls. The first story is probably my favorite of the four stories, as it's paced and structured to maximize the horror. Which sister is the enabler, which is the manipulator?? 

The second, and longest, story is also well-paced with it's suspenseful tale of a young girl who takes her frustrations with life out by sending a hateful letter to a made up person. Naturally, all the horrible things happen to a real person to who the letter is delivered. The anguish the letter-writing girl goes through as fate tears down the girl that received the letter, is built slowly and relentlessly. I do love the ending, but it's tone keeps this from being my favorite of the four stories.

Two illustrations from "The Coincidental Letter" the final story covered above.

New Alternative and Small Press Comix Arrivals (January, Week 2)

Remember, these are recommendations from browsing various online stores. I don't own all these, with the exception of #4 which I backed on Kickstarter. Numbering is entirely arbitrary,  no more top ten lists they are all great...

1. DISORDER COMPLETE EDITION (Erika Price) bluesky

2. Julia Gfrorer mini-comics to be collected by Fantagraphics! bluesky store

3. COMICS BLOGGER #7 (Thomas Campbell) Holy shit! I'm only up to #2, time to catch up. bluesky

4. SUDDENLY ONE SUMMER CAMP FROM HELL: 1971-1974 (Off Register Press) Shelly Bond and Liz Prince do not disappoint! Keeping an eye out for future installments.

5. PEBBLES #2 by Molly Colleen O'Connell (Gosh Comics London) You may remember their comics on the Domino site last year, this is their latest.

6. BASURA #5 by Eden D. (Gatoshop) I'm in love with this cover

7. YOU ARE NOT A GUEST by Leela Corman (Birdcage Bottom Books) Only a few copies left of this Fieldmouse Press title

8. CICADA: A COMICS ANTHOLOGY BY RILEY GALE (Silver Sprocket Store) An anthology put together by Power Trip vocalist Riley Gale and published posthumously by Lockin' Out Records

9. FREAK #11 by Cristian Castelo, Miles McDiarmid, and Mara Ramirez (Domino Books) Latest from the Freak Comics Collective

10. CLOSE TO HOME by Sarah Shaw (Radiator Comics) Wow! Stunning painted art on this one

Comix Reading List #1: DEN VOLUME 1: NEVERWHERE

 DEN VOLUME 1: NEVERWHERE by Richard Corben (Dark Horse Comics) Hoopla

I've, of course, heard of Richard Corben and seen many of his covers over the years. However, it wasn't until recently when I read CREEPY PRESENTS: RICHARD CORBEN that I took an extended look at his comics career. I couldn't get into the first release of Dark Horse's Corben Library, MURKY WORLD, the later Corben style comes off as more artificial or digital, if you will. Not so this representation of the first DEN story from 1973, I love the classic mixture of cartoony and grotesque in Corben's characters that is in evidence throughout this whole book. I was not a fan of the story at all in the beginning, as it struck me as another lame Edgar Rice Burroughs pastiche. I, of course, knew it had to get better as the story went along. Right? Fuck yeah, it got a LOT better. Unlike fellow comics master Alex Toth, Corben was not weighed down by his genre influences. Corben brings a Lovecraftian turn to the outline of ERB pulpiness and that's when the story really takes off for me. It's an adventure story filtered through menace, suspense, evil characters, sympathetic characters, sex, love, obsession, and an incredible use of sound effects when the cthulu shit is hitting the fan. In closing, of course I loved this introduction to classic Corben, hopefully Dark Horse can bring out many more volumes.

Comic Kkrakk (Terence Fuller) is my go to expert on Corben, and he had some well thought out opinions on this first volume of DEN:

First look on "NCBD" at the 19:30 mark:

With LahRasa at the 1:20:00 mark:

New Alternative and Small Press Comix Arrivals (January, Week 1)

New year, new streamlined format. The numbering is for my sanity only, not indicative of importance or quality (except for when WBMC is on the list)...

1. Wiggle Bird Mailing Club January 2024 zine. Subscribe on Patreon. (bluesky)

2. BUUZA! returns January 8, 2024 webtoons. None of the collections are available but keep an eye on Shazleen Khan's store.

3. YOUR MISERABLE TEA ANGEL ORCHID by Krusty Wheatfield (Domino Books)

4. VISCERE 1: BODY HORROR edited by Katie Skelly (Atomic Books)

5. MANA by Dina Omut (Fatbottom Books)

6. CROYDEN'S GRAIL by CF (50 Watts Books)

7. BABY SHOWER by Grupo Shampoo (Gatoshop) Dios Mio!

8. FITTING IN by R.E. Burke (Gosh Comics London)

9. COSMIC GOSSIP BY Mark Peters/Will Cardini (Howling Pages)

10. CAN I SEE YOUR HOUSE? by Kaoru Sakuma (Taco Shop Pro)

BONUS: Nicole Rodrigues Restocks at Partners and Son!

End of the year roundup:

RYAN C.'S FOUR COLOR APOCALYPSE has SEVEN different Top 10 lists summing up the best of the kind of comix we love around here. I don't know if these particular Patreon posts are public, but you should be subscribing anyway.

HIGH-LOW, reviewer Rob Clough's blog, is currently running the "45 Days of CCS" series, comprehensively covering the students and alumni of the venerable Center for Cartoon Studies.