This issue is a mix of oldtimers and newcomers: rugged MOME veterans, Andrice Arp, Paul Hornschemeier, Ray Fenwick, and Tim Hensley deliver a basket full of tales, each in their own inimitable manner, and, in Hensley's case, his last (at least for the time being) as his triptych concludes the long running (since MOME #5) saga of Wally Gropius; medium-term MOMErs, Dash Shaw, Sara Edward-Corbett, Conor O'Keefe, Robert Goodin and Nathan Neal each provide readers with memorable reads, with Neal turning in his strongest narrative yet; and Gilbert Shelton and Pic conclude their tale of rock 'n' roll at the world's edge. And then we have the newcomers: T. Edward Bak debuts here with the first chapter of his work in progress, Steller, as do Noah Van Scriver and noted Spanish cartoonist, Max, whose contribution is a nice, neat 16-page mini-comic that is precisely positioned (and presumably removable – although it's readable while in place) after the last page. All in all, another fine issue.
<<•>> edited by Eric Reynolds and Gary Groth <<•>> The obvious highlight of this issue for us here at The CCC is the new Cold Heat story by the team of Frank Santoro, Ben Jones & Jon Vermilyea. In addition, we have on hand: the furiously productive Dash Shaw, who translates an episode of "Blind Date" into comics form; the second chapter of T. Edward Bak's "Wild Man - The Strange Journey - and Fantastic Accounts - of the Naturalist Georg Wilhelm Steller, from Bavaria to Bolshaya Zemlya (and Beyond)"; new work from Renée French (who is also responsible for this issue's front and back covers); an all-new “Funny Bunny” strip by the rarely seen (in comics, anyway) Archer Prewitt; “The Moolah Tree”, a new Fuzz & Pluck graphic novel from Ted Stearn, begins it's serialization here; the MOME debut of Nicholas Mahler – "What Is Art?" (translated by Kim Thompson); and new stories from Lilli Carré, Conor O'Keefe, Laura Park, Nate Neal, and Sara Edward-Corbett, with incidental drawings by Kaela Graham. Get a PDF preview, HERE.
Whew! This issue of MOME is a frantic roller coaster ride of graphilocity that left our mind reeling. The journey begins with this issue's bifurcated cover, which sets the stage for the lead story: the first part of Josh SImmons new serial, The White Rhinoceros. We are then treated to "The Imaginist," Olivier Schrauwen's most fully realized work to date. Next up is Gilbert Hernandez with a new tale of the one and only Roy! Then hold onto your hats for the precipitous plunge that is the tale of "Evelyn Dalton-Hoyt." Within this work's 21 tumultuous pages, author/artist, D.J. Bryant has penned a demonically deft deconstruction of "Driven to Destruction," a 1970s Steve Ditko story originally published in Haunted #4 published by Charlton Comics, that infers (with a little help from Ditko's sideline of bondage comics) a torturous sexual repression at the heart of Ditko's seventies sensibility. So as not to give anyone the wrong idea, let us be clear and state that "ED-H" is a story that is fully capable of standing on its own merits, that can (and will) be wholly appreciated without any knowledge of the work of Steve Ditko; the Ditko angle is, however, vertigo inducing to all long time fans of his work (Also, PLEASE NOTE: THis story is now also available in D.J. Bryant's amazing collection, Unreal City). Then we have Tim Lane's "Hitchhiker," a tale full of Lane's trademarked dark and foreboding pen and ink work, but one that takes an unexpected turn. We then take a pastoral pass through the pastel colorings of Conor O'Keefe in "Vote Lily at the Dog Show" before being put through the twisted sensibility of Robert Goodin in "The Spiritual Crisis of Carl Jung." MOME 19 then closes with the latest chapter in T. Edward Bak's Wild Man. Whew, indeed.