Bill Griffith, widlely heralded as a founding father of underground comics and late-20th century pop counter culture, primarily for his star creation, Zippy the Pinhead, but also for his pioneering editorial contributions to the important comix anthologiesYoung Lustand, with Art Spiegelman,Arcade,has here, in the pages of this200 page graphic memoir, told the story that he has been keeping to himself all these many decades. This one's got a title -- well, subtitle, anyway -- that pretty much doesn't hold back the punch line; what was the big surprise for the author isfait accomplifor all readers going in. The reason for this is that there...

Incomplete Worksprovides, indirectly, an intimate, informative, entertaining portrait of the artist as a young cartoonist – who goes on to age gracefully and productively – with a large degree of creative independence – into marriage, fatherhood and middle-age (which is no small feat). It does so while simultaneously fulfilling its primary function of being a treasure trove of short comics of all stripes. Auto-bio, fantasy, literary, historical, humorous, scientific, and meta-physical comics can each be found here, all handledby Horrockswith dextrous aplomb. That he has been able to accomplish all this may have something to due with his...

It's here! The complete Grip, by the one and only Lale Westvind. So, all of you who missed the gone-in-a-blink-of-eye risograph editions can now celebrate with this beautifully (offset) printed edition, which successfully captures the vibrant color scheme, andwhich, at 8" x 10" is slightly larger than the 6.5" x 8" riso editions. Grip!

To quote our own, earlierlisting for the riso, "Gripis Lale Westwind's comics constitution of cosmic energies in the service of manual creativity. Readers will be propelled through panel after panel filling page after page with imaginative delineations of a series of fantastic mergings of mind and hands with...

BACK IN PRINT AT LAST! This is the big book that has it all! Originally serialized in Biggu Komiku in 1970-71, and a personal favorite of the artist, manga founding-father Osamu Tezuka, Ode to Kirihito is a unique effort, in more than one respect. Weighing in at a mammoth 822 pages, Ode is the first of Tezuka's works to incorporate adult themed gekiga (see Tatsumi's Abandon the Old in Tokyo) elements. Perhaps paradoxically, it is also a work that while dealing with the darker sides of human nature simultaneously deals with Christian (Kirihito is a pun on the Japanese pronunciation of Christ, Kirisuto) themes -- specifically of overcoming...

This startlingly well produced Big Book, the latest from the greatest full grown adult comics whiz kid, that literary minded artistic genius and graphic technician extraordinaire who possesses what could possibly be the most divided consciousness in a fully-functioning adult in the known world -- yes, that's right, Mr. Chris Ware -- collects material previously presented in the comics periodical Acme Novelty Library #7 & #15 (AKA Acme Novelty Big Book of Jokes #1 & #2 ) published by Fantagraphics, along with plenty of finely crafted, bruising new work with which it has been seamlessly integrated, all bundled together in an...

Where to begin with such a book. It is clearly and definitely the best book ever done on Krazy Kat, which is, at least in our estimation, the greatest of the classic newspaper comics. Ergo, it is, Copacetically speaking, one of the single best volumes of comics ever produced. In other words, it wins the Desert Island Award: If there were one comics related book to take to a deserted island, this might very well be it. And as if that weren’t enough, it has now been reissued in an economy softcover edition that’ll only set you back a double sawbuck. Think of it-- a lifetime of pleasure and consolation for what it would cost you to spend a...

Now Let Me Fly is a 322 page hardcover that presents the story of Eugene Bullard, who started out life in the Jim Crow south here in the USA at the turn of the twentieth century, and then, through a combination of striving, daring and skill crossed the Atlantic, where, when the First World War broke out, he fought in the French army before going on to become the first African American fighter pilot in history. Ronald Wimberly's story is expertly crafted with a genius framing sequence that simultaneously drives multiple points across to any attentive reader. The story that unfolds in these pages is dramatic and gripping, by turns horrifying...

The clear nod to the seminal work by Roland Barthes in the choice of title(taking it as far as to also “quote" itscover color and font; nice touch) will inform knowing readers that this is a work of ambition and that attention will need to be paid in order to experience all it has to offer. Each of the many pieces collected here – representing the bulk of Alwani’s comics output over roughly the last five years – contains multiple layers of signification below the surface. And, while, of course, Alwani plainly wants to confront readers with the reality of a gay sexuality and sex between men, he also obviously doesn’t want readers to stop...

Brecht Evens, creator of The Wrong Place, The Making Of and Panther (all of which except forPanther, which was, thankfully, just reprtinted arecurrently – and shockingly –out of print here in North America)has,in TheCity of Belgium,likely produced hismasterpiece.There might not be any other work that compares in the effectiveness ofits conveyance of the feeling of being immersed in the overflowing of city life, of the sense of being aware of everything, of being surrounded byso much – too much – that ishappening all aroundat every moment. Ariotous explosion of color and details communicate the overwhelming feelings that accompany this...

From the Archives: ONE new copy of the original hardcover edition (2nd print; September 2011) of the first volume of the superb – and definitive – archival study of the life and work of Alex Toth.

Here's the original Publisher write-up:

Compiled with complete access to the family archives and with the full cooperation of Toth's children, this lavishly illustrated biography features many rare comics pages, photographs, and drawings and reproduces twenty complete stories, including a previously unknown and unfinished story from the 1950's, most printed from the original artwork. Includes bibliographical references. Presents a biography of...