Here's a rare chance for non-subscribers to get a taste of Frank Santoro's Hype*Pup, which is now in its fourth year of monthly publication.
For those unfamiliar with its format: each issue is printed in full color on both sides of a single sheet of heavy, glossy* 11" x 17" stock, which is then folded into quarters (*with the exception of #38, which is printed on standard, flat 11" x 17" stock).
One side of each sheet is an ever-varying, all-over layout composed of type-written and hand-written musings on the state of comics past & present (with hints of possible future pathways) collaged together with drawings and illustrations; all by Frank Santoro (with the exception of #38; see below). It's a pretty much one-of-a-kind thing, part super-old-school single sheet newsletter, part punk zine, part artwork. The one exception to this is #38, which is an early piece of writing by local comics journalist and publisher, John Kelly, that is an appropriately (for Hype*Pup) amalgamatic work, part blank verse, part short story told in the second-person, written in 1995, that has been rhythmically measured by Frank.
The other side of each sheet – aka the centerfold – presents rare and original comics work, often by Conor WIllumsen, whose pieces have been comissioned by Santoro and are drawn specifically for Hype*Pup. Here's a list of what's on this side each in each of the issues in this set:
Centerfold art:
31 32 33: Frank Santoro – rare classic oldies – as in, from the 1990s (color)
34: Chester Brown – two pages from Yummy Fur –#4?; 1980s – (color scan of B & W comics pages)
35: Conor Willumsen – ironic tale of a Canadian sojurn of the Olympic torch that involves two of Conor's uncles, in comics form (color)
36: Conor Willumsen – series of six, four-panel comics – very Moebius-es que – about getting/being high (black & white)
37: Conor Willumsen – light-hearted, Bradley-Cooper-adjacent autobio strip (color)
38: Frank Santoro – new, full page, full color comics composition
This is the first time we've had the opportunity to offer any of these here at Copacetic, and have no idea whether we will have this opportunity again, so act accordinglly.
