This issue's editorial claims that, with the publication of MOME 18, MOME has now published over 2000 pages of comics, and that this "may be a record for an English-language alternative comics anthology." Who knew? To start off the celebration we have Nate Neal's cover feature, the multi-layered and multi-levelled, "Neurotic Nexus of Creation." This one should leave you with much to ponder, especially regarding its innovative formal qualities, but as well as for its worldview. Of special interest to Copacetic customers is the latest message from the Cold Heat universe, brought to you by the combined powers of Ben Jones, Frank Santoro and John Vermilyea. This feature is a vigorously rendered and sumptously colored tale of drugs, rock 'n' roll, sex, and gruesome horror. Also in this issue we have: an all-new Tim Lane tale, "The Passenger"; a surprise new Pip and Norton adventure from Dave Cooper and Gavin McInnes; "Burrow World," wherein Joe Daly does Mat Brinkman; three short pieces by Nicolas Mahler; the third installment of Fuz & Pluck in "The Moolah Tree"; the second installments of both T. Edward Bak's WIldman – "A Barvarian Botanist in St. Petersburg," and Michael Jada & Derek Van Gieson's "Devil Doll"; a four-pager by Lilli Carré that had us thinking of old Rick Geary; the pastoral "Autumn" by Conor O'Keefe; more René French; and the Chris Ware homage, "The Jerk Machine," by Jon Adams. MOME!
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.
edited by Zack Soto After, what? five years? we have another issue of Study Group 12. This one is the grandest yet. 8 1/2" x 11 1/2" , with 72 pages printed in navy blue, eight extra pages with an additional layer of magenta, and then all wrapped up in a hand silk-screened cover in aqua and pink. This package holds quite a lot of talent. Creators included in this issue are Theo Ellsworth, Jim Rugg, Dan Zettwoch, T Edward Bak, Richard Hahn, John Vermilyea, Michael DeForge, Vanessa Davis, Farel Dalrymple, Aidan Koch, and plenty more. The front cover is by editor, Zack Soto; back cover by Mr. DeForge, and endpapers by the esteemed Steven Weissman. This is a hand-numbered edition of 500 copies.
Here's another forest themed book. This all-new anthology contains 16 two-page spreads by 16 different artists including Dan Zettwoch, Hellen Jo, T. Edward Bak, John Vermilyea and Joseph Lambert – roughly 2/3 comics and 1/3 illustration – along with a wraparound cover by co-editor DeForge. Beautifully printed on heavy, flat white stock. Another fine Koyama Press publication. BACK IN STOCK AT A SPECIAL PRICE!