Tag Archives for COMICS

"Paws" by Pete Toms

Pete Toms is back with part 2 of PAWS, which he describes as a horror comic about watching TV.

The comic is essentially a horror comic about a guy that only experiences the outside world through television trying to sell an autobiographical screenplay. It has all the same themes as my other comics, how people choose identity roles, the media’s effect on memory, how we mythologize our personalities, but this one has a lot more dogs and possibly werewolves, and jokes about how creepy sitcom laugh-tracks are.

I’m doing the same stuff as always, drawing at night, using my natural jazz dancing ability to put my kids through college during the day.

Here’s a great interview Pete did with Escape from Suicide Wolf Forest where he shares the harrowing details of joining a street gang at age 8.

Floating World Comics presents: Seripop New Mutantes

Seripop is a Montreal based, internationally focused art/design duo made up of Chloe Lum and Yannick Desranleau. In addition to doing gig posters and international gallery exhibitions, they are currently touring as the noise-rock band AIDS Wolf. Catch them on tour and pick up a copy at their merch table. Limited to only 1000 copies, this oversized 10″ x 15″ newsprint monograph collects 16 mutated and melty designs suitable for browsing or framing. Each image is composed of layers like a 4 color silkscreen, inviting viewers to indulge in optical exploration.

16 page bound 10″ x 15″ newsprint, limited to 1000 copies, only $5 on Floating World’s website.

"The Whale" by Aidan Koch

Blaise Larmee (Young Lions)  (http://www.arthurmag.com/2010/02/13/exclusive-preview-of-blaise-larmees-young-lions/) has started his own publishing imprint, Gaze Books (http://www.gazebooks.com/index.html).  Their first book is Aidan Koch’s debut graphic novel, THE WHALE.

The 64 page book is a gorgeous showcase of Aidan’s ethereal pencil illustrations and poetic storytelling.  The story follows a young woman who has just suffered the loss of a loved one.  There is no backstory or explanation.  Instead we simply follow the protagonist for a day as she walks her dog on the beach, makes tea at home, is surprised that all of her loved one’s belongings fit in a couple cardboard boxes.  The text is minimal, just her internal dialogue, but very resonant.

Most of the time we keep death at bay as an abstract mystery.  Butwhen death cannot be avoided it pierces each moment like a needle.Those painful hours become linked with normally small and mundane details, almost absurd, always irreversible.  I think the book is trying to capture this melancholy paradox; the complex idea that we live in a world of objects, sweaters and seashells, while simultaneously existing in the overwhelming emotional world of our memories.  In our hearts we identify with the grandeur of existence, and in our minds we know there is nothing.

Special thanks to Blaise and Aidan for sharing this 12 page preview.  Preorders are available on Gaze Books’ website (http://www.gazebooks.com/store.html) and Blaise has announced a release party in October, at his apartment.

"The Future" by Mike Getsiv

Mike Getsiv has completed three books of wordless comics (Eyeballs, Lightbeam and one more as yet untitled) plus the anthology he edited called Snow Stories. He was a major supporter and contributor to the Eisner-nominated anthology Abstract Comics published by Fantagraphics and now he’s working on a full-length autobiographical comic book called The Green Kid.

He also started a collaborative project called ABCOLAB on Abstract Comics: The Blog and received contributions from ten countries: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Cyprus, England, Finland, Portugal, Russia, the United States and Uruguay.

Twitter along with him at: http://twitter.com/MikeGetsiv

http://www.getsivizion.com/

"2005" by Sean Christensen

Sean Christensen aka Awesome But True aka Glass Moustache is a prolific comics maker and mega awesome bro from way back.  When he’s not getting radical or enjoying life… oh wait… that’s never.  So in the midst of all that awesomeness you know he’s drawing pictures and making comics with his friends here in Portland.
One of his newest books is Labanotation: The Center of Weight, a collaboration with the incredible Amy Kuttab.  We’re pleased to present some pages from a new odyssey in progress, ‘2005’.

http://seanchristensen.blogspot.com/

http://awesomebutcomics.blogspot.com/

"Perceived Obsolescence" by Lane Milburn

Lane Milburn was born in Lexington, KY and studied Painting at the Maryland Institute College of Art. He currently lives in Baltimore, MD. He is currently at work on a long science fiction graphic novel that is coming along in fits and starts.

His new book DEATH TRAP was the winner of a 2009 Xeric Grant. It contains two stories: Perceived Obsolescence (a full color sci-fi short) and Death Trap, a 104 page horror tale of a group of teens who venture into the woods for a night of partying….only to encounter a strange evil… DEATH TRAP is available from Sparkplug Comics ( http://www.sparkplugcomicbooks.com/ ) or directly from Lane at: http://closedcaptioncomics.blogspot.com/2010/03/death-trap-has-arrived.html

"The Regular Man" by Dina Kelberman

Dina Kelberman’s first collection of comics and illustrations, Important Comics, will make you think and laugh. Also she has just released the tenth issue of The Regular Man. What else is Dina up to? I’ll let her tell it:

I am an illustrator comics and drawings and website. I enjoy blue, red, yellow and green when used correctly. I got to: go to Purchase College; found Wham City; show work in lots of places and publications; tour the east coast with my friends. Please email me at dina@whamcity.com immediately.
New projects I gots on the burner include: going to SPX in Sept., a book of my Citypaper comics, illustration for the next Nuclear Power Pants album, comics in Friends With Benefits (ltd. edition handmade art book by Impose Magazine) and Fakeheads Anthology, video on Baltimore vs. The World DVD by Current Gallery, & ISBN numbers!

"Solution" by Stanley Lieber

Stanley Lieber is a comics factory, a house of ideas, a bullpen bullet, a Jim Starlin drawing, a Herzog documentary.  Check out his website to preview his new book, The Abandonment of Cruelty.  He’s currently compiling a comics anthology called FAKEwhich will contain his new Actron novella, ACTRON: MY STRUGGLE.  We will serialize the following chapters here on Arthur:
1. SOLUTION
2. MUSCLES
3. YOU’RE TRAPPED
4. ENSIGN SMURF
5. SOME GREAT REWARD
This week’s chapter is the first half of SOLUTION (colors by Pete Toms).

"Silence Country" by Conor Stechschulte

Conor Stechschulte graduated from the Maryland Institute College of Art in 2008 and embarked on a cross-country bicycle trip from the east coast in Virginia to the west coast in Oregon.  In each state, he photographed a “woods walk” where he would find a patch of woods usually somewhere close off the side of the road, walk in a straight line (going from east to west), and take a photograph every 3 to 5 steps.  Since coming home, he edited the photos down to one walk (consisting of anywhere from 10 to 16 images) per state and has begun to translate them into drawings.

Conor adds, “The drawings are done side by side, two at a time on pieces of 24 x 19″ bristol board.  Each drawing is about 9 x 6.5″.  There are 134 images to draw for the final Silence Country book, so going at the pace I am right now, it’ll probably be done somewhere around 2018.  Haw haw.”

This particular set is from Kentucky, outside of Bardstown. It was photographed right near an anonymous graveyard dating back to the civil war.

Conor underwent a similar walking/photographing/drawing process for a zine he did in 2008 titled “The Spirit World.”

Conor is a member of Closed Caption Comics, he plays in the band Witch Hat, and he lives in and helps run “Open Space” gallery in Baltimore.

"How To Find A Witch" by Inés Estrada

If you enjoy the comics you’ve been reading on the Arthur blog I highly recommend ‘GANG BANG BONG’ a new anthology compiled by Inés Estrada.  The first issue includes comics by Inés as well as new work by some of my favorite creators: Sua Yoo, Maureen Gubia, Ginette Lapalme,  Patrick Kyle, Ralph Niese and Zack Hazard.  Inés mentions that there isn’t a huge “alternative comics scene” in Mexico City which makes it even more awesome that she’s producing a bilingual comics anthology there.

“I live in the same place where I was born: Mexico City.  I like drawing, but I’m sure you know that already.  I’m fascinated by zines and self publishing, I really like the idea of making “art” an accessible and touchable thing.
I’m one half of Café con Leche, alongside with my boyfriend Roi.  We make things togethers like stories and songs and bastard monster kids out of textiles.
I’m also co-editor of the bilingual comic anthology Gang Bang Bong, and we released our first volume (of many to come!) this February.” ~ Inés Estrada

cafeconleche.com.mx