We finally got around to importing this spirited anthology from London, England.  We now have the entire (so far) run of #1 - 6 on hand.  There's a wealth of variety on hand in these issues, each of which is limited to a 1000 copy print run, only a fraction of which have managed to make it across the Atlantic.  From Marc Bell and Ivan Brunetti to Xavier Robel and Ron Regé, Jr. and many, many others -- quite a few of whom will be new to you -- Sturgeon White Moss is a challenging ongoing forum for new comics work from Europe and North America.

This is a nifty guide to zinemaking and zinestering that is a great primer for anyone who is getting started  -- or even thinking of getting started -- down the road of making a zine, whether it be comics or otherwise.  It's purposefully designed to be exactly the kind of guide that the authors wished they had when they started out.  In covers the practical ins and outs such as formats and print-marriage set ups, the pros and cons of various drawing tools and printing methods, and a wide array of binding methods that one might never think of on one's own. But there's much more as the authors bring in a bevy of talented cartoonists, zinesters and self-publishers to offer their artistic, poetic, historical and technical perspectives, encouragements and insights.  Among those creators featured are John Porcellino, Ron Regé, Jr., Souther Salazar, Dan Zettwoch, Martin Cendreda, Dave Kiersh, Allison Cole and Raina Lee.  All in all this book has a great feel and is sure to be enjoyed even by those who are well on their way down Zinester Avenue.  And it's bargain priced to boot!

This book was published in 2006 and is now out of print :(, and currently out of stock, BUT this is a great book that we'd like to keep available here and so are on the prowl for furtive copies that may be hiding out in a warehouse(s) somewhere, so please check back and see whether or not we found any...

For now, you can get a decent sized peek at this book on Google Books, HERE.

Edited, as always, by Sammy Harkham -- this time around with an assist by co-publisher Alvin Buenaventura -- this now seemingly biennial publication continues to live up to the promise made with the fourth and fifth volumes.  The format follows that of the last volume:  a flat matte finish (this time sans texture) flexi cover fixed to a sturdy Smythe sewn binding that holds the contents firmly in place.  And what contents!  Many of those talents that readers have come to associate with Kramers Ergot are here again, and have submitted work that is as engaging as ever.  Sammy Harkham, C.F., Paper Rad, Marc Bell, Souther Salazar, Ron Regé, Jr., Matthew Thurber, Dan Zettwoch and Elvis Studio are joined by Vanessa Davis, Tom Gaud, Martin Cendreda, Bald Eagles and a handful of others.  Also,  KE Alum Gary Panter finds himself under the same covers as former fellow Raw artist, Jerry Moriarty, who is given plenty of space to present his idiosyncratic Hopperesque visions for the first time (we've seen) in many years.  In addition, with this issue Kramers Ergot adds a curatorial component to its offerings for the first time, as readers are given a rare look at two great historical figures of the comics world:  we get a healthy sampling of a late sketchbook by the Dutch comics artist, Marc Smeets, which is preceded by "an incomplete appreciation" by Chris Ware; and an amazing reproduction of the early and highly influential manga, Norakuro by Suiho Tagawa.  All in all, it seems once again to be an essential read for anyone involved in the contemporary comics scene. 

BACK IN STOCK!

<<•>>  edited by Charles Burns; series editors Jessica Abel and Matt Madden  <<•>>   Well, Crumb is a tough act to follow, but we'll give it a shot with this star-studded anthology filled with the best and the brightest from the last twelve months of comics, as judged by Charles Burns.  In a book like this, we feel that the contributor list says it best:  Doug Allen, Peter Bagge, Gabrielle Bell, Matt Broersma, Daniel Clowes, Al Columbia, Robert Dennis Crumb, Sammy Harkham, Tim Hensley, Gilbert Hernandez, Kevin Huizenga, Ben Katchor, Kaz, Aline Kominsky-Crumb, Michael Kupperman, Jason Lutes, Tony Millionaire, Jerry Moriarty, Anders Nilsen, Gary Panter, Laura Park, Mimi Pond, Ron Regé, David Sandlin, Koren Shadmi, Dash Shaw, Art Spiegelman, Ted Stearn, Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki, Adrian Tomine, Chris Ware, Dan Zettwoch.  'Nuff said.  Well, actually, we can't help but add that while the material contained in this anthology is absolutely fabulous, the quality of its reproduction is, mysteriously, not up to the same standard as the three previous volumes in this series, which were excellent in that department.  This shouldn't stop anyone from picking up this fine volume, but it is worrisome.  Let's hope that this was a one time aberration and that next year we'll find the fine folks at Houghton Mifflin have figured out what went wrong and put things in the production department back on track.