Forget socks, we’re gifting books! Here’s what we’re giving our loved ones this holiday season:
Eric:
“Not just a revelatory work of cartooning history, but also of 20th Century magazine publishing, first-wave feminism, and queer studies, all of which paints a picture of a life lived to the fullest by the best cartoonist you’ve never heard of.”
“You could spend a lifetime with just one of the 200 or more paintings in this collection and never exhaust every detail. Collectively, they present an alternative history of America, one that continually finds grace and dignity in the unlikeliest of subjects.”
“I have never seen a better representation of the interior life we all live in our own heads. That it’s all in unpretentious service of the funniest, most entertaining, and most exhilarating read of the year only underscores Schrauwen’s brilliance.”
Jenn:
“I had never read any of the Doofus comics before so this was a brand new experience for me. A sexy and sick farce and hilarious in all the right ways. I couldn’t stop smiling. I loved it.”
“We’d previously done a smaller Humorama paperback edition but I love this new hardcover of DeCarlo’s work. This deluxe edition is so comprehensive and showcases the art so beautifully. I just can’t stop looking at it (and the cutie on the cover, hubba hubba)!”
“I know this isn’t a book but I really love my Hey Buddy shirt — it has quickly become one of my favorites in regular rotation in my daily uniform of t-shirt + Carhartt jorts (summer) / worn grey jeans (fall). Comfy and stylish, always a perfect fit (especially when reading issues of Hate Revisited!)”
Tucker:
“I never understood the thinking beyond a Blue Lives Matter flag until I read Johnny Ryan’s Fatcop. Now I’m at the range every weekend.”
“People say we don’t pay enough attention to history, and they’re right. Thankfully, Olivier Schrauwen remembered how fucking stupid Tom Hanks looked in that movie where the Vision actor hit his penis with a cat of nine tails.”
“For the next twenty years, I will be able to say that I was into Bhanu Pratap “from the beginning” because of how early I adopted Cutting Season. I live for that kind of smugness.”
Lauren
“It’s exactly the kind of book I like to read: a fascinating deep dive into the history of a woman who lived a big life!”
“Perfect for anyone who loves Archie and appreciates a good pin-up (so, everyone?)!”
“I grew up in Southern California and I can attest to how handily Anna Haifisch captured the sometimes chilling, always compelling contradictions of this strange place. Uncanny!”
Conrad:
“Whenever Italian master Fior releases a new graphic novel, it’s a delight to dive into the tantalizing world he’s created. In Hypericum, twenty-somethings Teresa and Ruben get caught up in a freewheeling romance amidst the grungy charm of Berlin. Fior deftly juxtaposes Teresa’s journey with a famous Egyptian archeological discovery in poignant ways. Playful, sensuous, with insight that cuts deep.”
“An enchanting drama that feels like a contemporary John Hughes movie. After the tragic death of her mother and father, teenaged Billie moves in with her gay godparents in small-town Kansas. As she navigates her grief, young romance, and the town’s intolerance of queerness, the story treats these tough moments with a sense of tender humanity.”
“Meet a sensitive skeleton and a nihilistic ghost as they wander the afterlife and stumble into all sorts of absurd situations, from the mundane to the fantastical. Take a buddy comedy adventure, with all the amusing bickering and banter of an unlikely friendship, but make it whimsical and macabre and oddly philosophical at times. Best read by candlelight on a dark and spooky night.”
Kristy:
“I’ve loved these moodily fun Wrightson, Reese, Shores, Jones, Conway, et al. jamzines for years, and here they are—perfectly packaged and contextualized.”
“Full disclosure: I worked on this book. But it’s not only an engaging, lavishly illustrated biography of an independent woman who lived unconventionally through major historical events and participated in every significant art scene of the early-to-mid 20th century—it’s also a reclamation and a celebration of a forgotten architect of The New Yorker. For fans of Mallory O’Meara’s The Lady from the Black Lagoon.”
“Infuses the joyful anatomical anarchy of Jack Cole’s Plastic Man with viscera and philosophy.”
Larry:
“Peter Bagge continues the saga of Buddy Bradley and his crew of lovable losers with a seamless combination of flashbacks and current calamities. Bagge doesn’t miss a beat. Essential.”
“This Charles Burns collection of imaginary comic book covers is like watching a fireworks display. The turn of each page elicits involuntary oohs and aahs.”
“Underground comix legend Guy Colwell’s examination of Bosch’s Renaissance masterpiece adds immeasurably to the mystique of The Garden of Earthly Delights. This book is a masterwork in its own right.”
Darren:
“This went on my list the second it was announced. I had no choice. I’m just a fool for Nancy.”
“A beautifully crafted nightmare of modern horror. Ms. Hetland is the best new (to me) cartoonist of 2024.”
“A cautionary tale of abstinence gone awry. This book has it all. Doofus, Henry Hotchkiss, a recklessly deployed thunder jug. What more could you possibly need?”
Justin:
“If you couldn’t get enough of Maria’s pet pugs in “Lady Dynamite,” this book is a delightful behind-the-scenes story from the dogs’ perspectives. Hilarious and poignant, it’s hard to get enough of these lovable fart machines.”
“An imaginative and gorgeously rendered deep-dive into the creation of Hieronymus Bosch’s masterpiece, The Garden of Earthly Delights. Colwell deftly explores themes of religious conviction, doubt, madness, and temptation — all necessary ingredients in the creation of one of the world’s most beguiling paintings.”
“A book filled with the ghastly ghouls, terrifying monsters, and nameless terrors plaguing terrified children? An absolute necessity for anyone who delights in having the children in their life run screaming from the room. (Pairs well with A Christmas Bestiary by Mortensen and Benni Bodker.)
Kenley:
“An author’s ode to her family’s immigrant roots, and all the righteous convictions and contradictions therein. The linocut drawings give the feeling of ghosts looking back at the reader — haunting and lovely.”
“Like Casablanca with more explosions. A rollicking post-colonial story with a rugged reporter, and things get really interesting when he starts to get a conscience.”
“A dark and energetic cyberpunk tale adapting Osamu Tezuka’s Dororo. The art is gorgeous and kinetic, a perfect compliment to a story that starts boldly and doesn’t let up.”