WOW!!!  It's here and it's a dream come true.  Founding editor of Comic Art magazine, Todd Hignite has given us an elegant, oversize, beautifully produced, 320 page hardcover book that takes you into the studio and collections of today's top independent cartoonists.  Featuring tons (499, to be exact) of reproductions of the highest quality, depicting the original art, personal collections and physical environs of R. Crumb, Art Spiegelman, Gary Panter, Charles Burns, Jaime Hernandez, Dan Clowes, Seth, Chris Ware and Ivan Brunetti side by side with extensive interviews with the creators themselves, this is a book to savor.  Todd Hignite is a passionate, intelligent and articulate defender of comics.  His concise introductions to each of the assembled artists are examplary, and the introductory overiew with which he opens the book is an eloquent and perspicacious presentation of the richly complex significance of the art and practice of comics. Recommended! NOW 40% OFF!  A real treasure, for less.

<<•>>  introduction by Alison Bechdel  <<•>>  YES!  It's here: a dream come true.  Designed by Jordan Crane, and perfectly printed on high quality flat white stock, every page of this oversize hardcover book is a wonder.  Where to start with a book like this?  Well, first off, there are the page after flawless page of full color reproductions of Jaime's black and white (and color) original artwork – including many pieces of unpublished art, several of which are real eye-openers!  Then there is the uncovered cache of rare ephemera like punk rock fliers, early L & R ads, and local and national magazine covers.  Also unearthed are drawings from Jaime's childhood years, including those that cover Jaime's Oxnard High School Pee-Chee folder, amongst which is one of the first ever depictions of Maggie!   Best of all, there is a veritable family scrap book worth of photos documenting the Hernandez clan's development from its earliest days (Jaime in diapers!) on up through the halcyon days of punk rock splendor and beyond that will have long time Love and Rockets fans dewy eyed more than once.  AND, this book isn't just about the art, it's also about the man behind the art.  It's full of choice quotes from Jaime and others in his circle, all of which go a long way towards shedding light on the particular nature of his genius.  Our favorite so far is this gem of Jaime's, in response to the suggestion that he build on his popularity to step into the mainstream:  "That's not the next step.  Love and Rockets is the last step.  I 'made it' when we did the first issue.  Everything else  – The New York Times, even making a movie – is lesser than Love and Rockets, as far as I'm concerned, and everyone else should treat their work that way.  If it's your own work, it should be treated as the last thing, not the first thing."  Amen to that.  Written and curated by Comic Art Magazine founding editor, Todd Hignite, this massive hardcover volume builds on and extends Comic Art's tradition of high standards in writing, graphic design and production.  Hignite's introduction, craftily employing Jaime's New York Times serial "La Maggie la Loca" as both its jumping off point and visual foil, is a model of concise clear prose in the service of promoting an ideal.  The body of the book constructs a well rounded portrait of the artist that will stand the test of time.  We'd say more, but we're all too busy poring over the pages and dabbing our eyes...

edited by D.B. Dowd and Todd Hignite And speaking of Todd Hignite, it seems that he's on a roll in a major way this month, as, in addition to the above mentioned In the Studio and the below described Comic Art 8, this month also sees the public release of this fascinating -- and, yes, beautifully produced -- collection of essays on all things originating in lines on paper (and, to be precise, transparent celluloid, as well).  Originally published by Washington University in a very small edition in late 2004 as The Rubber Frame: Essays in Culture and Comics to accompany a pair of exhibits there, it has now been republished for the general public by Princeton Architectural Press.  It includes a look at the parallels of comics and animation, probes the connections between Tijuana Bibles and Jack T. Chick tracts, takes a look at the 1960s African Americans and American Comic Books, and contains Mr. Hignites own essay:  what is quite possibly the most thoughtful tribute ever penned to the works of Jaime Hernandez.  All lavishly illustrated, natch'. 

edited by Michael Dooley & Steven Heller This is a truly amazing compendium of the ins and outs of making comics in the world today. The list of contributors is eye-popping, and their writings are inspiring. Anyone interested in creating comics stands to benefit from this. Here's a partial list of the contributors: Bob Mankoff, R.C. Harvey, Tony Auth, Peter Kuper, David Rees, Stan Mack Mark Alan Stamaty, Bill Griffith, Nicole Hollander, Jim Steranko, Barron Storey, Bill Sienkiewicz, Dave McKean, David Mack, Monte Beauchamp, Gary Panter, David Sandlin, Peter Blegvad, Mark Newgarden, Chip Kidd, Chris Ware, Art Spiegelman, Marjane Satrapi, Kim Deitch, Rick Geary, Ho Che Anderson, Tom Spurgeon, Dan Nadel, Robert Williams, Heidi MacDonald, Todd Hignite, Eric Reynolds, Graig Yoe, Trina Robbins, Scott McCloud, Joe Kubert, Will Eisner, Ted Stearn, James Sturm, Matt Madden, Rich Kriener... and that's not all! Whew, what a line-up. Recommended.