Weekly Weird Trigger Warnings 5

Copacetic Comics Gift Guide:

We've been lurking the Pittsburgh-based Copacetic Comics site for years now, not quite making an order yet. They have a great 2025 Holiday Gift Guide this year with over 50 hand-picked books, some low stock and some on sale. The WWIII Illustrated set is a particularly nice idea!

Copacetic

Bud's Art Book Free Comics:

Bud Plant

Bud's Art Books has eight free items (with a purchase) including the Moebius postcard set (pictured above), Bob Foster items, First Kingdom #1, and old issues of Walt Disney Comics and Stories.

 

Plant is also running a 30% off sale of over 200 items, with only one or two copies left in stock, until December 16th. You never know what you're going to find on BAB, like the last copy of Ron English's Greetings From Delusionville tabloid-sized hardcover.

It's been reported Bud Plant will be retiring next year, so order while you can!

The Comics Journal Spotlight Interview of the Month:

Books With Pictures

Zach Rabiroff interviews Books With Pictures, Portland OR comics shop, owner Katie Pryde. This is an in-depth talk about Pryde's early years in comics retail and the intense threadbare line between breaking even and being in the red in the modern landscape of comic shops. One of the best interviews on the site this year.

Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo 2025 Scene Report:

micexpo.org

Arpad Okay has a great write-up at The Beat of the recent 2025 Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo, including five highlights from his show haul.

More links from the show include a list of books debuting at MICE 2025, and a related list of all the 2025 MICE Mini Grant recipients.

Zine Freak News:

The UK underground comix and alternative zine distro, Zine Freak, sent out an update recently, including the cover to Matt Simmons' main publication, MZW. If you are a fan of comics that bite (or sometimes lick, according to that cover below), check out his Patreon and Discord, or stop by his comix stall at Lancaster's Assembly Rooms Emporium if you're in the UK.

Patreon

Black Comic Lords Virtual Convention:

The Beat

December 6th brought an entire days live programming of Black comics creators and publishers on the Black Comic Lords YouTube channel. Reported by George Carmona 3rd on The Beat. All 12 hours of programming have been archived on their channel!

Rob Clough's 31 Days of CCS Begins:

!

Rob Clough, Looper

It's December, so Rob Clough brings us 31 days of reviews of comics from alumni of The Center for Cartoon Studies! First up was veteran cartoonist Colleen Frakes. Check out Clough's High-Low blog throughout December for more of this series.

Optical Sloth reviews the Bible:

Optical Sloth

 

Kevin Bramer comes up with some amazing finds. John Minkoff has a wild line, and Bible stories are always worthy of adaptation, imho. Check out the review or comic

1987: The Year That Ruined My Life:

GCD

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TCJ

My first new issue of The Comics Journal was #115. Maybe not coincidentally my first issue of Love and Rockets was #20. Both were (according to GCD) published in April 1987. I was 17 and a junior in high school, at the time. I was already a misanthropic weirdo, so I guess this just sealed the deal!

New Thick Lines Podcast by Katie Skelly and Sally Madden:

Buy here

Katie Skelly and Sally Madden discuss Junko Mizuno's Pure Trance. More info on Mizuno here. Listen to Thick Lines here.

Scarred for Life by 2000 AD.:

2000 A.D.

Michael Molcher and (Trigger Warning favorite) Chloe Maveal interview the team behind the Scarred for Life book series, Stephen Brotherstone and Dave Lawrence.

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lulu.com

If you aren't familiar with the Scarred For Life series, it examines the weird and warped pop culture of the UK. They have a three book series covering the 70s, 80s, and 90s, as well as live presentations and a podcast.

Comix Reading List:

Speaking of Katie Skelly, I poured over all her books on Hoopla in one day (plus bonus story with Alex DeCampi in Twisted Romance). I loved all her work, although My Pretty Vampire may have been a slight favorite. Nothing quite like a good cartoony horror book.

all Hoopla

Comixology Unlimited had Volume Two of Fantagraphics Guido Crepax series, which I was totally not prepared for. This is probably some of the densest, most surreal comics narrative I've ever seen. I don't even know if I like it, but it's definitely an experience.

Comixology Unlimited

Weekly Weird Trigger Warnings 4

 Scott Shaw! Profile:

Amazon

About Comics released a collection of Scott Shaw!'s underground comix and creator-owned work in 2023. 

Shaw! has a weekly column at 13th Dimension highlighting even more of his Oddball Comics collection.

Because I'm a big John Candy fan (The Great Outdoors, Summer Rental, Uncle Buck), this article on Shaw!'s work on Camp Candy was a lot of fun.

Manga Reading List:

Found an intriguing book on Hoopla by Frederik L. Schodt called Dreamland Japan. It provides an essential portrait of the Manga industry in Japan in the early to mid 90s, during the infancy of the Manga explosion in the US (and also when I started reading Manga: Return of Lum, Gunsmith Cats, and random Osamu Tezuka series)

GCD

Probably like every old person, my first recollection of reading Manga was Leonard Rifas' comic book version of Keiji Nakazawa's I Saw It (recently reprinted by Last Gasp).

Last Gasp

Also found this classic book by Frederik L. Schodt, Manga! Manga!: The World of Japanese Comics on Internet Archive. Unlike Dreamland Japan, it traces the roots of Manga back hundreds of years.

Internet Archive

New Hermann collection:

A selection of 15 historical shorts from 1965-70, originally published in Tintin and Spirou magazines. Lambiek shop

Poopsheet Foundation New Arrivals:

More from the Bill Fitts collection, including this classic from the Polyester Age of alternative mini-comics:

Poopsheet Foundation

Cassiopeia the Witch 28 by Perry Lake. Love the ad for Elizabeth Watasin's Adventures of A-Girl #2 on the back cover!

Larry Shell Benefit Auction:

GCD

Check out some rare Peter Bagge, Hunt Emerson, Don Simpson, Gary Hallgren, and much more original art to help with living expenses after many health problems for former underground comix editor Larry Shell. Link to auction. (From downthetubes.net)

Comics Video Watchlist:

Adam Yeater (Blood Desert) shows us more of the mini-comics that have shown up in his mailbox:

Everybody's favorite Manga YouTube channel. Straight from Australia, the newest horror haul from Famicon Collects:

Weekly Weird Trigger Warnings 3

That one interesting book on Zoop every year:

Zoop

 

A collection of interviews with underground comix legend, house cartoonist for Fortean Times: Hunt Emerson! Purported to be heavily illustrated with rare or seldom seen art from throughout Emerson's "50-odd" years of cartooning. We have a soft spot in our hearts for Good Nose Art.

Sign up to be alerted when the campaign goes live here

We have complete faith in you Heavy Metal Library Kickstarter:

Kickstarter

Ever get the feeling the new stewards of the Heavy Metal legacy are two dudes operating out of their Mom's basement? That would be awesome. Anyway, I pledged for this Ranxerox hardcover, mostly because I was always intrigued by the Catalan translation that was advertised in TCJ way back when. I don't know if we'll ever see any of these books. It'd be fun if we did, though

Stephen Pellnat does Sonic:

At Optical Sloth: Kevin Bramer reviews Mach the Hedgehog, a different sort of comic from the talented Stephen (Upstate) Pellnat! Still available.

Paul Gravett top December 2025 titles:

Always worth a look. Mr. Gravett separates the good stuff from the boring stuff in the world of graphic novels. December 2025 picks here.

Remembering J.D. King (1951-2025):

John Kelly, of Dummy Zine fame, assembles a highly reverential and informative obituary/biography/memorial on the one and only cartoonist J.D. King. 

Coming across the cover of Twist 1 in the back issue bins in the early 90s was a real revelation, much later I found the other two issues. However, that first issue - with Peter Bagge, John Holmstrom, Dan Clowes, Josh Gosfield, and Stephen Blickenstaff - really captures the underground origins of a certain time in pop culture. Kind of the space-age bachelor pad, tiki bar, ugly art vibe that became a fad not to much later on.

Those three Twist covers are still an inspiration:

GCD

Comix Reading List:

Catching up on a bunch of old Carol Swain Fantagraphics releases on Comixology Unlimited. I have to admit to being a little underwhelmed, but that may be what Swain was going for. Foodboy is some kind of masterclass in pacing and tension, however.

And, for something completely different. Joe Coleman's brutally raw true crime sories. Highly recommended.

As a follow-up to his Any Similarity to Persons Living or Dead, The Fun Never Stops is a disappointment. These are commercial assignments that are so blandly conceived that the occasional weirdness of "Fred and Ricky Join Nambla" (written by Howard Stern) seems not only out of place, but obtuse. The pointillism of Drew Friedman is still on a whole other level.

Comics Video Watchlist:

Tom Fellrath has been digging up some real gold in his "Classic Zines" series on YouTube. This episode, in particular, highlights a hidden black and white boom gem from the 80s (bonus comment from creator Daryl Hutchinson):

It's been about six months since the unfortunate passing of small press comics tub-thumper Larned Justin (1942-2025). Seems like a good time to revisit his final Talking Small Press Comics episode (with the amazing Steve Keeter by his "side"):

Weekly Weird Trigger Warnings 2

Links to other blogs:

This 2022 Don Newton birthday tribute at 13th Dimension focused on his Charlton work, including all his Phantom covers. (Top illustration from GCD)

Don Newton also puts in appearance in Ken Meyer Jr.'s November Ink Stains blog. A young Gary Groth also figures into the history of Nebulous 1.

Duck Comics Revue examines a Bob Gregory Daisy and Donald story from the 70s. Gregory is better known as underground comix cartoonist Roberta Gregory's Dad.

Gilbert Hernandez Gets Some Love (Finally):

With the release of Lovers and Haters it's good to see some press for the most famous unsung cartoonist around.

Greg Hunter at TCJ takes the scholarly approach to Lovers and Haters. I particularly love this quote:

"He exists lately in, if not a purposeful exile, than the territory one finds while privileging creation over legacy."

Brad Curry is back in Canon #6 with three articles on Gilbert Hernandez. Curry is my favorite writer on Beto Bro Hernandez, you should check out his work (also in Canon #1, iirc).

Thomas Batten reviews the book for Library Journal.

Swedish cartoonist spotlight:

Fantagraphics has been translating a lot of Swedish alternative comics, including Moa Romanova's Buff Soul and Bim Eriksson's Baby Blue this year. Austin English has imported four books from another Swedish creator, Emilie Ostergren:

Check them out at Domino Books

Bud Plant Rare Books:

Bud Plant has all the Russ Cochran EC Science Fiction hardcovers in stock: Weird Science, Weird Fantasy, Weird Science-Fantasy

Manitoba has all the comics!

ComicKrakk and 420lanpartier69 are two great Comics YouTubers from Winnipeg, Manitoba who are always digging up treasure in their city. A Moment of Cerebus highlights comics dealer Doug Sulipa of Steinbach, Manitoba and his Million(!) comic book inventory. 

Comix Reading List:

Two of the most recent Richard Corben Library volumes. I absolutely loved the all black and white Rowlf volume, Corben's talent really comes out when not hidden behind that luscious coloring of his. Rat God is a bit Lovecraft-like with some bizarre time-twisting, I just started it but I'm sold on Corben's story already.

Comics Video Watchlist:

Two of my most watched Comics YouTubers are ComicKkrakk and Hercules Petix. There was a little serendipity between the channels in the form of Young Master by Larry Hama and Val Mayerik.

Skip to 21:18

Young Master 1-5

Young Master 6-9; The Master 1-2

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Here's a rundown of what I'm reading, reviewing, or watching in the land of comics, hopefully on a semi-weekly basis:

Comics Video Watchlist:

Dan Elsen, well-known from ComicKkrakk live chats, has started his own channel. Weird does not do justice to the comic he spotlights in this video-

Donald Rex is someone I've admired for years. He's currently putting a lot of effort into preserving the work of the foreign artists that contributed to Charlton from the late 60s to the mid 70s-

I bought the cheaper ebook version of this one

Comix Reading List:

It seems I've been reading all Fantagraphics Books recently-

21st Century Spain Rodriguez is as good as any.

Did not remember the bits of horror inserted amongst the irony and humor.

I'm not a big Tardi fan, but I love these noir adaptations.

You can't beat Bill Everett horror stories!

To paraphrase Kris Kristofferson: if you don't like Reed Crandall, you can kiss our ass.

Reviews:

I was honored to contribute to Broken Frontier's Thought Bubble 2025 coverage-

Dead on Arrival by Mexican artist Samanta Batllori

Under Pressure by Polish creator Robert Sienicki

Through the Looking Glass by UK creator KitsuneArt

Angry Duck by Norwegian creator KA Sandholm

The Hanging by Irish/Canadian creator Aaron Losty (w/Becca Carey)

Beyond the Black Void by Jason Measures and a host of UK creators

The Gloriously Untrue Adventures of Sapphira #1 by UK novelist Sapphira Olson

Down North Where No One Goes by Spanish artist Ramon Perales Cano

So many great interviews and reviews centered around Thought Bubble 2025 can be found here.

Image: Domino Books

 

My feature on Ines Estrada and her Gatoshop online store is included with an amazing array of interviews, reviews, and articles. Donald Rex is interviewed herein. My personal highlight would be more Brad Curry writings on Gilbert Hernandez. Order from Colin Blanchette here

I also (with equal amounts reservations and enthusiasm) contributed seven entries to the "100 Best Superhero Comics of All-time" coming up in DIE WITH YOUR MASK ON #3. Pre-order (also from Colin Blanchette) here

In the works Five Highlights of The Comics Journal 51 and 52...