I almost don’t know where to begin!
Imported from Japan:
Frank – The Lute String. An all new Pupshaw, Frank, and Pushpaw story published by Presspop Gallery, Tokyo! Great new Jim Woodring for only $5.69.
Visions of Frank DVD – 9 Japanese animators interpret the Frank comics of Jim Woodring in this astonishing 48 minute dvd. Plus 16 page booklet and bonus tracks by special guest stars (Yo La Tengo, Dame Darcy). $24.95
Dame Darcy Deluxe Book/DVD Box Set – The book is called ‘Dollerium’. The DVD is called Hi-Jinx and includes 2 hours of footage: TV Show/Short Movie/Interview/Interior Design Show/Live Act/Movie! Inspired Dame Darcy in a clever plastic slipcase. $37.50 from Presspop Music Tokyo.
A whole new batch of Ignatz!
Baobab #2 by Igort
Niger #1 by Leila Marzocchi
Reflections #1 by Marco Corona
And a great new batch of First Second books!
American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
Kampung Boy by Lat (highly recommened)
Journey Into Mohawk Country by HM Van den Bogaert & George O’Connor
Klezmer by Joann Sfar
Missouri Boy by Leland Myrick
Sardine in Outer Space 2 by Emmanuel Guibert & Joann Sfar
Last Gasp delivers Glenn Barr’s Haunted Paradise
Brian K Vaughan’s acclaimed new hardcover ‘Pride of Baghdad’ looks beautiful thanks to the gorgeous art of Niko Henrichon. Inspired by true events, in 2003 America started fucking things up in Iraq and a pride of lions escaped from the Baghdad zoo. Lost and confused, hungry but finally free, the four lions roam the decimated streets in a desparate struggle to survive. A thought provoking document of life during wartime.
MOME Fall 2006 – Fantagraphics latest comes a week after the release of Kramer’s Ergot 6. Too much good stuff!
Abandon The Old In Tokyo by “the godfather of Japanese alternative comics” Yoshihiro Tatsumi. Why does this collection of 8 stories feel so special? I don’t know. The package is so wonderful and it’s only $19.95. Kudos to D&Q for delivering such high quality.
Ultimate Marvel Team-Up by Brian Michael Bendis. Did you read any of these when they were coming out? I loved Ultimate Spider-Man when it was starting out. Powers had come out just before and all of a sudden Bendis was getting super popular. He came into the shop I was working at and mentioned he wanted to get some of the indy artists to do a book with him at Marvel. He was just compiling, like, a dream list of underground talent. I don’t think quite all of them made it in, but just look at the list of artists he got to draw Spider-Man: Matt Wagner, Mike Allred, Bill Sienkiewicz, Jim Mahfood, Chynna Clugston-Major, Ted McKeever, Terry Moore, Alex Maleev, Dan Brereton, John Romita Sr, Frank Cho, Scott Morse, Craig Thompson, Michael Avon Oeming, Jason Pearson, Sean Phillips, P. Craig Russel, Jacen Burrows, Dave Gibbons, James Kochalka, David Mack, Brett Weldele, Ashley Wood… Notice how he hit up the local publishers Oni and Top Shelf? Well done. This trade collects all 17 issues of this modern Marvel Fanfare for only $29.95. It looks good all in one book. Really good.
Ok I’m done now. Except one last thing.
Read Death Note from Viz. Vol. 7 just came out today. Vols. 1-6 are in stock for just $7.95 ea. Really cool manga about a high school kid who finds a notebook that a death demon accidently lost on the earthly plane. The book comes with instructions: anyone’s name you write in this book – WILL DIE. So… he tries it. He does a test. The news is on and he sees a hostage situation unfolding live on the screen. The news identifies the criminal hiding inside the building. So he writes the guy’s name in the book. Of course it won’t work… a minute later the hostages come rushing out. They report that the criminal has apparently died suddenly of a heart attack! The best thing is, the book is smart. The kid’s a genius, and so is his adversary, the demon. I’ve always been really impressed by really good mysteries. How do you develop and write about a character who’s smarter than you are? I don’t know. Be real smart I guess.