Mini Comix

Reviews of minicomics from today, yesterday and tomorrow.

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When I get dressed I ask myself, "Am I feeling like a King Cat or a Poochie Press?"

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SPX 2013 did me well.

Oh man so many great things in this picture. I even re-bought issue #16 of TEOTFW just because of that lovely Ignatz sticker. So many comics here I've been meaning to buy for months, others I discovered while shopping around!

Now let me find some time to review some awesome stuff. Stay tuned!!

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Vintage HATE hat from SPX 2013

I got this along with tonssss of comics. Plans to buy more tomorrow! Stay tuned!

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16 artists at MCAD create a .gif of Ernie Bushmiller's Nancy, including John Porcellino, Lilli Carre and Jaime Hernandez (in town for Autopic!) 

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Panel from Roadkill Magazine

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Title: Roadkill Magazine (1986)

Artist/Writer: John Holmstrom, J.D. King, Dave Coulson, Peter Bagge, Joanne Bagge, Dale Ashmun, Weiner

Publisher: Self-Published

Purchase: Not for purchase anywhere steadily

Review: 

I came across this comic at my local shop that has tons of comic backstock. I am prone to buying anything this old that looks self-published and lacks a barcode. I was already planning on buying this issue before I noticed that the name "Pete Bagge" was throughout the 16 page comic! I was especially surprised when one of his strips was dated 1982

The issue is just a really collaboration of what the artists were working on at the time, and older work. There are comics, a book review and a look into the creators at dinner. Dale Ashmun reviews the book Le Crapouillot: Les Monstres. We are given a full page spread of pictures from the book.

The comic tries to be offensive and grotesque, and it might just succeed it that. My personal favorite thing from this anthology comic is the use of photographs as panels. Then they are drawn all over and word bubbles are added. Done twice, once here, and again by Peter and Joanne Bagge.

J.D King gives us a one page story, and David Coulson uses his page to replicate a newspaper page giving us spoofs of The Family Circus, various other strips and even some puzzles which remind me of a proto Johnny Ryan. Like the cover says, Roadkill says to be a very rare comic to tract down, but if you ever get a chance to read it, take it!!

[davidhockney]

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Blaise Larmee .gif

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From Matt Furie's newest art zine, Dungeon Family, out from Mt.St.Mtn.

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Title: The Blobby Boys

Artist/Writer: Alex Schubert

Publisher: Zine Police Books

Purchase: http://zinepolice.bigcartel.com/ (Seems to be out of stock)

Review: 

This is the beginning of comics I picked up at CAKE. The Blobby Boys had a look which reminded me of Sof Boy or Boy's Club, some of my favorite comics. When I opened it it was the color palette that really convinced me to buy it. It was just so wonderful. 

I could individually list each color and just say how great they all are. The black outline perfectly complements it. Just a wonderful book to hold in your hands. The total squareness of every object too really pulls it all together.

The story is short, the comic only being 12 pages but it's very funny quick hit. Titles such as " Punk Dad in 'Netflix Que' " and "Aging Hipster in 'Drug Deal' " make obvious promises of at least a chuckle. Blobby Boys is another mini-comic in the vein of dry drug humor, like the above mentioned Boy's Club. The Blobby Boys have a weird texture to them that gives them a uniqueness and worthwhileness to read about. While being weird creatures, the boys are active potheads and are smirky as hell. Scenes which seem to serve no purpose in a normal story pop in and out of the comic. It's these scenes which give us a real sense of what the Blobby Boys life is like and how damn funny it is.

I scoured the internet trying to find purchasable links for more issues of Blobby Boys to find out Koyama Press is putting out a collection of more Blobby Boys this fall! I eagerly await this 52 page collection. But don't worry about not being able to purchase this comic right away, for it's first issue is readable for free online right here!

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CAKE 2013!

So I traveled quite a ways to Chicago Alternative Comic Expo last weekend, but let me say it was worth it! Above is a photo of the expo itself, and on the right the stash of comics that I came home with! I spent a lot of money with no regrets. I went to all 6 amazing panels, they started strong with a conversation with Chris Ware and ended with fantastic Phoebe Gloeckner. I wish I could mention every amazing comic artist I met, perhaps I should...

While in Chicago of course I had to stop by Quimby's! It was my first time in the store, and I was in awe. The store was a dream, mini-comics and zines as far as the eye can see. Chicago is truly a huge place for this medium, and it's incredibly encouraging. It's no wonder so many great artists call it home.

Keep a look out for reviews of many new comics which I am now in possession of!

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I'll be at CAKE this weekend! Excited to buy tons of comics. And go to all 6 panels, they all sound awesome!!

Anyone else going?

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Title: December 2012, Januaray 2013, Feburary 2013

Artist/Writer: Ian McMurray

Publisher: Self-Published

Purchase: http://squarecomix.tumblr.com/

Review: 

Recently received this comics from Ian directly from Japan! I could not remember what from Japan I ordered, and I was pleasantly surprised when I opened it and found my favorite thing, comics!

Ian's comics are short quarter sized issues that deal with him living abroad in Japan. On his tumblr he has written, "I've been living abroad long enough for the novelty to wear off, and for the day to day reality of things to set in." I think this is a real focus of these comics. Like a Kochalka comic, McMurray focuses on the simple parts of his day that make them important. Each page contains one panel, that help tell the story through the featured month, but also are self-contained stories in themselves.

I really like the added touch of the Japanese subtitles in the comic, little attributes like that are critical in making the comic unique, while it also does a lot to the purpose of the comic as a piece of art. Ian's art is simplistic ink drawings, but again looking through his tumblr or issues of his Square #5 and #6, which I also received, his art isn't limited to this simple drawings.

The above panels are from a story in McMurray's Square #6 that I found pretty great. Ian's work reminds me of some of the best artists who deal with auto-bio comics, and fictional real life comics. Ian wrote me saying he plans to keep at it, and I hope he does.

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Ben Horak's page from Intruder Comics #6

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Part of Julia Gfrörer's comic from Bird Hurdler

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From Ian Sundahl's Social Discipline #1

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Title: 3 New Stories

Artist/Writer: Dash Shaw

Publisher: Fantagraphics

Purchase: www.fantagraphics.com/3newstories

Review: 

Dash Shaw recently released this 32 page comic through Fantagraphics, it's always nice to see when they release a new floppy comic. The comic is made up of 3 short stories, all of which seem to take place in a dystopian future, or alternate reality. For me the real charm was the multiple layers of art that exist in each comic.

The first story involves a man who must go back to high school because his school year was 4 days shorter than it should have been, so his degree was no longer valid. He goes back to a special school and finds himself surrounded with old classmates, and full of suspicions of this bizarre situation. The background of this black and white comic is full of wonderful paintings that give a whole new reflection on what is happening in the scene. A very interesting way to fill up his white spaces.

The second story has a gorgeous map background (I've always had a thing for maps as art). Over top of it we are given a point-of-view shot from a Girls Gone Wild video camera. The story is quick, but full of good art and thought. Each panel is shaped much like an iPhone (I wish I had one to see if it was in fact traced from one). I really like the use of this scrapbook styling of forming each page.

The last story is called "Bronx Children's Prison". Again in a weird alternate reality, Bronx has a prison which houses only children. Shaw again hits the nail on the head with the background art, it adds a wonderful texture to each page and panel.

3 New Stories is a quick read, but a memorable one for sure. Worth boarding and bagging to keep preserved for all time! Keep a lookout for Shaw's newest book to be released later this year, New School!

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Free Comic Book Day 2013! Everything I picked up today! 

Got Reptile Museum #2! The new Dash Shaw! Everything else in the picture was %75 off or FREE! Low Jynx, Big Questions, Top Shelf and D&Q stuff for %75 off?! Yes please!!

Did you get anything good?