This British book that now reaches the US market courtesy of Yale Universtiy Press is a bit like an exhibition catalogue sans the exhibition itself.  Authors Bell and Sinclair approached their material with a curatorial eye and mien as they assembled a vibrant cross section of contemporary comics and illustration work that converges on the narrative sensibility in drawing.  The work of Jordan Crane, Tom Gauld, Jason, Jim Woodring, Marcel Dzama, Martin tom Dieck, Sammy Harkham, Igort, Lorenzo Mattotti, David Rees, Joe Sacco, Marjane Satripi and many others are grouped, contextualized, compared and contrasted; and taken together form an excellent survey of the state of this particular art.

A well intentioned, if not overly well informed, relatively early (2005) survey of looking at comics from a, “Hey, there’s more to comics than we thought” kind of perspective. Solid production values, and packed with great work, but, again, not yet sure how to best go about this sort of thing… but now on SALE for a price that makes it worth checking out!

Featured artists include: Barry Blitt, Canada; Mr. Clement, Hong Kong; Jason, Norway; Jordan Crane, Sammy Harkham, Ethan Persoff, David Shrigley & Jim Woodring, United States; Martin tom Dieck, Germany; Marcel Dzama, Canada; Igort & Lorenzo Mattotti,  Italy; Tom Gauld & James Jarvis, England; David Rees, United States; Joe Sacco, Malta;  Marjane Satrapi, Iran.

 

144 pages, 9 1/2 x 11
300 color illus.