New Library Comics: Week of April 16, 2007

Here's a list of the comics we added to our library collection 2 weeks ago:


Bieri, Sean. Cool Jerk & Homo Gal : the collected mini-comics, 1992-1997 / Hamtramck, Mich. : [S. Bieri], c2002.

Burden, Bob. Flaming carrot comics / Eugene, OR : Dark Horse Comics, [1997]- vol. 6

The coevolution quarterly. /Sausalito, Calif. : POINT, 1977. no. 14

Derian, Evan. Insignificant gods / Detroit, Mich. : Deadcity Comics, 2002- nos. 1-5

Howarth, Matt, 1954- Caroline : circle vs. square / Seattle, WA : Aeon, c1998.

Kanan, Nabiel. The drowners / Berkeley, Calif. : Image Comics ; Norcross, Calif. : Desperado Publishing, 2006.

Mad super special. /New York : E.C. Publication, Inc., no. 46

Marshall, Kenjji. Eden preview / Detroit, Mich. : Sigma6, 1997.

Marshall, Kenjji. The days and nights of Kid Shade / [Detroit, Mich.] : Detroit Comic Alliance, [199-?]-

Science : sequential art annual 2006 / Savannah, Ga. : Savannah College of Art and Design, c2006.

Simpson, Don, 1961- Bizarre heroes / Pittsburgh, Pa. : Fiasco Comics, 1994- no. 1

Simpson, Don, 1961- Bizarre heroes / Princeton, Wis. : Kitchen Sink Press, 1990-[199-?] no. 1

Simpson, Don, 1961- Megaton Man /Princeton, Wis. : Kitchen Sink Press, 1984- no. 1

Simpson, Don, 1961- The return of Megaton Man / Princeton, Wis. : Kitchen Sink Press, 1988.

Simpson, Don, 1961- Yarn Man / Princeton, WI : Kitchen Sink Press, 1989.

Spudd 64 / [Ohio : M. Kish, 200-?- ] no. 4

Young, Ethan. Tails / [United States] : Bohemian Press, 2006- vol. 1


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Undiscovered Gems 2 Day 3

Two more entries in the Undiscovered Gems 2 Contest:

The Dane writes to tell us:

Clan Apis is a wonderful book for two reasons. In the first place it fulfills all the typical demands of storytelling. It's funny, exciting, interesting, and emotive. You'll laugh. You'll cry. Et cetera. In the second place, Clan Apis does something amazing. It actually comes off as a work of non-fiction, explicating and illustrating the secret lives of bees. And doesn't bore the reader into giving up partway through. I had read the back cover on several visits to my local seller and put the book back on the shelf several times. It just didn't sound interesting. At last and after a great many months later, I decided to purchase it as I had already gone through most of the books my seller stocked. After that, it sat on my to-read pile for another month or two. Then I finally read it and was...surprised. I was engrossed. Jay Hosler had created something amazing and no one had told me. I've since read it multiple times and given it to my wife's students to enjoy as well. Good stuff!

And Joe Szilvagyi writes:

My recommendation for the undiscovered gems list is The Surrogates written by Rob Venditti with art by Brett Weldele published by Top Shelf. The writing paints an incredibly credible view of the future where people choose to experience life through surrogate androids that transmit all sensory information to the user. It manages to run through a crime story that explores the benefits and drawbacks of this technology without coming across as preachy or too technical. Best of all, the art is quite solid with well thought out colour schemes and dynamic compositions.

Thanks to Joe and The Dane for their recommendations; they've been entered into the drawing for The Best American Comics 2006, which will be awarded next Wednesday. There's still time for you to enter!

Monkey Covers

Sunday is Monkey Covers day here at YACB. Because there's nothing better than a comic with a monkey on the cover.

Bow tie-wearing monkeys and surfing space heroes go great together on the cover to Kid Blastoff #1 by Evan Dorkin and Sarah Dyer.

Image courtesy of the GCD. Click on the image for a larger version.

Bassoon Manga

I do believe that this is the first ever appearance of a bassoon on the cover of a comic:



Cover to Nodame Cantabile 11 by Tomoko Ninomiya.

(Why yes, I was a bassoon player in high school...)

Undiscovered Gems 2 Day 2

I received one further entry in the Undiscovered Gems 2 Contest:

Bill Burns writes:

Hey Mister, by Pete Sickman-Garner

A series of bizarre comedies focusing around a family unit of three unrelated characters: the dissipated loser Mister, the weird-looking child Young Tim, and Aunt Mary, the toughest woman in comics. Sickman-Garner (the best-named writer in comics) intersperses an occasional tale of his own creative process, one of which features Chris Staros demanding "I want wall to wall women and I want them greased up, strapped on, spread out and going down or you've drawn your last comic for Top Shelf." Hey Mister's humor is surrealistic and outrageous, but Sickman-Garner's affection for his characters makes them more than caricatures. The comics have been collected in three volumes from Top Shelf: Afterschool Special, Celebrity Roast, and The Fall Collection.

Thanks to Bill for his recommendation; he's been entered into the drawing for The Best American Comics 2006, which will be awarded next Wednesday. There's still time for you to enter!

Undiscovered Gems 2 Day 1

Only one entry received so far in the Undiscovered Gems 2 Contest:

Redhead Fangirl writes:

UMBRA
Image Comics
Art: Mike Hawthorne
Written by: Steve Murphy
A female forensics investigator in Iceland, with situational anxiety disorder discovers a mysterious skeleton in a cave… if this plot does convince you it’s not the average comic storyline, maybe the two Harvey nominations will. Absolutely deserves a wider audience (and I said so at the Vertigo panel).

Thanks to RHFG for her recommendation; she's been entered into the drawing for The Best American Comics 2006, which will be awarded next Wednesday. There's still time for you to enter!

Undiscovered Gems 2 Contest

In honor of my 3rd blogiversary next Wednesday (August 15), I'm having another contest!

The Undiscovered Gems 2 Contest will operate a lot like last year's anniversary contest. This year the grand prize is a hardcover copy of The Best American Comics 2006, edited by Harvey Pekar. It includes works by a number of luminaries in the comics field, including Kim Deitch, Alison Bechdel, Joe Sacco, Chris Ware, Rebecca Dart, Jamie Hernandez, Alex Robinson, Jessica Abel, Rick Geary, Tom Hart, Linda Barry, Robert Crumb, and many others.

There will probably also be some runners-up prizes, though I'm not sure yet how many or what they will be.

So how do you enter? I'm glad you asked!

Simply email me your recommendation of a comic that you think is worthwhile, but that you don't think that very many people have read. What I'd like to do through this contest is give you all the opportunity to share an undiscovered gem with the rest of the comics Intraweb. Thoughout the next week until the end of the contest on the 15th I'll be posting here on YACB the picks that you send me.

Your entry should include:

• Your name (tell me if you wish your name to be used when I post your pick)
  
• Your address (I won't share your address or your email with anyone!)
  
• Your pick, with a sentence or brief paragraph describing why you recommend it.
  
• The phrase 'Undiscovered Gems 2' in the subject line
  

On the evening of August 15th the winners of the Undiscovered Gems 2 Contest plus the runners-up prizes will be selected at random, and announced here on this blog.

The fine print:

• You must be 18 or older and reside in the United States to enter. (If you are outside the U.S. you can still send your recommendation pick, but you will not be elligible to win a prize.)
  
• Only one entry per person
  
• Deadline for entry is 6pm EDT on Wednesday, August 15, 2007.
  

So go ahead and enter today! (Or tomorrow, or anytime before next Wednesday.)

(You may receive an auto-reply saying that I am out of the office. Be assured that I have received your entry; there is no need to send it again to any other email.)

(Last year's undiscovered Gems: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, Day 6.)