• Review: J. Caleb Mozzocco says The Lagoon by Lilli Carré is "a great comic" • Review: Parka Blogs looks at Beasts! Book 1 • History: Furry 101 reprints a 1992 article cementing Fantagraphics' place in mid-to-late 1980s furry culture with our brief heyday of anthropomorphic comics • List: Sporadic Sequential recommends Anywhere but Here by Tori Miki if you're looking for funny manga • For comiXology, our own Kristy Valenti looks at George Herriman's illustrations for archy and mehitabel • Things to see: On the Covered blog, Paul Karasik takes Jimmy Olsen into the 3rd dimension, sort of •…
Around the Office
Jaime Hernandez pencils for New Stories #2 found on the backside of the original art for the upcoming Free Comic Book Day comic. UPDATE: Jaime dropped a note to mention that this is from an old L&R issue. The guy's right! I saw Angel (not shown here) and thought New Stories but this would have been the end of the L&R2 run. And, of course, that's Frogmouth. Tempestuous Vivian Frogmouth.
Now in stock: The Comics Journal #296 (Best of the Year Issue)
The Comics Journal No. 296 Edited by Michael Dean & Kristy Valenti; Gary Groth, executive editor Our annual Best of the Year issue includes interviews with critics' faves Lynda Barry, Frank Quitely, Dash Shaw, David Hajdu and Mike Luckovich, as well as Best Picks of 2008 from an all-star lineup including Kim Deitch, Anders Nilsen, Emmanuel Guibert, John Porcellino, Mark Newgarden, Johnny Ryan, Paul Karasik and others. Plus, a first look at C. Tyler's upcoming project You'll Never Know, a gallery of comics from Finland's best young talents, and more. 200-page color/b&w 7.5” x 9.5” squarebound softcover magazine • $11.99…
Daily links: 2/23/09
• Review: Comic Book Resources gives Sam's Strip 4 out of 5 stars and calls it "a must for any fans of comic strips" • Review: Comics Worth Reading takes on Supermen! • Review: Rob Clough examines Mome Vol. 13 • Review: Parka Blogs checks out Beasts! Book 2 • Profile: Paul Gravett examines (and recommends) the work of Mark Kalesniko in an article which also appears in Comics International • Blurb: Jared Axelrod, applying his "10 Rules of Quality Superhero Fiction," declares Jaime Hernandez's story in Love and Rockets: New Stories #1 "one of the best superhero comics of…
Now in stock: Sam’s Strip by Mort Walker & Jerry Dumas
Sam's Strip: The Comic About Comics By Mort Walker & Jerry Dumas Sam’s Strip was ahead of its time when it debuted in 1961. Mort Walker and Jerry Dumas’ offbeat creation took the inside joke of breaking the “fourth wall” to a new level, playing with the basic elements of the cartoon form, experimenting with different art styles and featuring famous characters from other strips. Sam and his cartoonist assistant owned and operated the comic strip they inhabited. The Yellow Kid, Jiggs, Krazy Kat, Dagwood, and Charlie Brown were among the many familiar faces who made walk-on appearances. Sam and…
Now in stock: Mome Vol. 14 – Spring 2009
Mome Vol. 14 – Spring 2009 By various artists; edited by Gary Groth & Eric Reynolds The Spring 2009 edition of MOME is anchored with Lilli Carré's (The Lagoon) new, 32-page graphic novella, "The Carnival." Gilbert Shelton is back with the second part (of three) of his new graphic novel, "The Last Gig in Shnagrlig," and both Olivier Schrauwen and Laura Park are back with their sophomore Mome efforts. 2008 comics darling Dash Shaw delivers "Scenes from the Abyss," while Mome regulars Derek Van Gieson, Ray Fenwick, Jon Vermilyea, Sara Edward-Corbett, Conor O'Keefe, Émile Bravo, and Josh Simmons all return….
Daily links: 2/19-20/09
Oops, I put yesterday's update together but forgot to click "publish." Here's a two-fer, then: • Review: Rain Taxi says Bottomless Belly Button by Dash Shaw is one of the best graphic novels of 2008 • Event: Chapman University in Orange, CA has an exhibit of original comic art by Tony Millionaire, Jeffrey Brown and Adrian Tomine currently showing through March 13 • News: On her blog, Ellen Forney celebrates the news that I Love Led Zeppelin is to be published in a Czech edition • Things to see: New sketchbook drawings and comics by Anders Nilsen • Things to…
Webcomics update for 2/20/09
Friday is new webcomics day! First up, Johnny Ryan's Blecky Yuckerella to the rescue, sort of, in this week's strip. And in this week's installment of Steven Weissman's in-progress pages from "Blue Jay," an epic 32-page story from Chocolate Cheeks, the next collection of the Yikes! gang's adventures: the best laid plans… And don't forget to catch up on our current 5-day chunk of Martin Kellerman's hilarious Swedish smash-hit Rocky, updated Monday-Friday! This week: celebrating New Year's, Rocky-style.
Welcome home, Junior.
Sam’s Strip: Read the Authors’ Introductions
Our collection of Sam's Strip contains two introductory essays by the strip's creators, which we've placed online for you to read and enjoy while you're waiting for the book to be released (any day now): "How Sam's Strip Began" by Jerry Dumas and "My Time with Sam's Strip" by Mort Walker. Together they comprise a Rashomon-like tale of the strip's run.
