Welcome back to Re/Read, an occasional column by Fantagraphics Bookstore curator Larry Reid drawing attention to books that you may have missed or merit another look. This time we’ll focus on Chinese artist Daishu Ma’s graphic novel, Leaf. This wordless story is set in a bleak urban village in the Chinese countryside where an inhabitant discovers a mysterious illuminated leaf amid the congested industrial landscape. His search for meaning leads him through a maze of mechanization that serves as a metaphor for traditional Chinese culture conflicting with contemporary ecological concerns and social identity. Ma’s sublime narrative and alluring rendering…
What’s in Store (Best of 2015 Edition)
It’s time that I select my favorite comix of 2015. Lots of incredible books to choose from this year. I was particularly impressed with the quality of self-published and small press editions, which I’ll list separately on the bookstore’s Facebook page. – Larry Reid, Curator, Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery Black Light: The World of L.B. Cole. The colorful covers of golden age comix are the focus of this exceptional and long overdue volume on mid-century master L. B. Cole. Essential. We Are Gypsies Now. Tacoma-born media artist Danielle de Picciotto chronicles her nomadic adventures with husband and collaborator…
Digital Releases Highlight the Stimulating, Stirring, and Sidesplitting
A couple of sensational debuts and an out-of-print backlist selection are featured in this week’s digital releases.
