The ADD 100 Graphic Novels Meme

From Alan David Doane's list of 100 Must-Read Graphic Novels, here's the meme started by Johnny B, wherein I bold the titles I've read, and italicize the ones I intend to read.

100 - Little Nothings: The Curse of the Umbrella by Lewis Trondheim (NBM)

099 - Reid Fleming: Rogue to Riches by David Boswell (Deep Sea Comics)

098 - Real Stuff by Dennis Eichhorn et al (Swifty Morales Press)

097 - The Norm in Color by Michael Jantze (thenorm.com)

096 - Lost at Sea by Bryan Lee O'Malley (Drawn and Quarterly)

095 - Life's a Bitch: The Collected Bitchy Bitch by Roberta Gregory (Fantagraphics)

094 - Swallow Me Whole by Nate Powell (Top Shelf)

093 - Curses by Kevin Huizenga (Drawn and Quarterly)

092 - American Splendor: The Best of American Splendor by Harvey Pekar et al (Ballentine)

091 - War Stories by Garth Ennis et al (two volumes) (DC Comics)

090 - A Treasury of Victorian Murder: Abraham Lincoln by Rick Geary (NBM)

089 - Storeyville by Frank Santoro (Picturebox)

088 - All Star Superman by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely (DC Comics)

087 - Spent by Joe Matt (Drawn and Quarterly)

086 - My War with Brian by Ted Rall (NBM)

085 - Mad Night by Richard Sala (Fantagraphics Books)

084 - Late Bloomer by Carol Tyler (Fantagraphics Books)

083 - The Collected Hutch Owen by Tom Hart (Top Shelf)

082 - God's Bosom and Other Stories by Jack Jackson (Fantagraphics Books)

081 - Fred the Clown by Roger Langridge (Fantagraphics Books)

080 - Amazing Spider-Man Omnibus by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko (Marvel)

079 - Ripple by Dave Cooper (Fantagraphics)

078 - Conan: Born on the Battlefield by Kurt Busiek and Greg Ruth (Dark Horse)

077 - City of Glass by Paul Auster, Paul Karasik and David Mazzucchelli (Harper Perennial)

076 - Bone One Volume Edition by Jeff Smith (Cartoon Books)

075 - Black Hole by Charles Burns (Pantheon)

074 - Daddy's Girl by By Debbie Drechsler (Fantagraphics Books)

073 - The Gypsy Lounge: Lunchtime Variety Criminals by Jasen Lex (Aweful Books)

072 - Marvel Boy by Grant Morrison and JG Jones (Marvel Comics)

071 - The Walking Man by Jiro Tanaguchi (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)

070 - Waterwise by Joel Orff (Alternative Comics)

069 - Red Eye, Black Eye by K. Thor Jensen (Alternative Comics)

068 - Good-Bye by Yosihiro Tatsumi (Drawn and Quarterly)

067 - Abandon the Old in Tokyo by Yoshiro Tatsumi (Drawn and Quarterly)

066 - The Push Man - by Yoshiro Tatsumi (Drawn and Quarterly)

065 - Shuck Unmasked by Rick Simth and Tania Menesse (Top Shelf)

064 - Paul Has A Summer Job by Michel Rabagliati (Drawn and Quarterly)

063 - Monkey vs. Robot by James Kochalka (Top Shelf)

062 - Hellboy by Mike Mignola (six volumes to date) (Dark Horse)

061 - Lost Girls by Alan Moore and Melinda Gebbie (Top Shelf)

060 - McSweeney's Quarterly Concern #13 edited by Chris Ware (McSweeney's)

059 - The Legend of Wild Man Fischer by Dennis Eichhorn and J.R. Williams (Top Shelf)

058 - The Fart Party by Julia Wertz (Atomic Books)

057 - Demo by Brian Wood and Becky Cloonan (DC/Vertigo)

056 - The Silver Surfer by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby (Marvel Comics)

055 - Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus by Jack Kirby (four volumes) (DC Comics)

054 - Pizzeria Kamikaze by Etgar Keret and Asaf Hanuka (Alternative Comics)

053 - James Sturm's America by James Sturm (Drawn and Quarterly)

052 - Palestine by Joe Sacco (Fantagraphics Books)

051 - Strangehaven by Gary Spencer Millidge (three volumes to date) (Abiogenesis Press)

050 - The Outer Space Spirit by Will Eisner, Jules Feiffer and Wallace Wood (Kitchen Sink)

049 - Top Ten by Alan Moore, Zander Cannon and Gene Ha (two volumes) (America's Best Comics)

048 - The Placebo Man by Tomer Hanuka

047 - We3 by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely (DC/Vertigo)

046 - David Boring by Dan Clowes (Pantheon)

045 - Cages by Dave McKean (NBM)

044 - Bottomless Belly Button by Dash Shaw (Fantagraphics Books)

043 - Crecy by Warren Ellis and Raulo Caceres (Avatar Press)

042 - The Maakies by Tony Millionaire (Fantagraphics Books)

041 - The Book of Leviathan By Peter Blegvad (The Overlook Press)

040 - Fantastic Butterflies by James Kochalka (Alternative Comics)

039 - B. Krigstein Comics by Bernard Krigstein (Fantagraphics Books)

038 - Jay's Days: Rise and Fall of the Pasta Shop Lothario by Jason Marcy (Hairy Bald Guy Books)

037 - Gødland by Joe Casey and Tom Scioli (Image Comics)

036 - Scott Pilgrim by Bryan Lee O'Malley (four volumes to date) (Oni Press)

035 - The Filth by Grant Morrison and Chris Weston (DC/Vertigo)

034 - The Complete Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson (Andrews McMeel)

033 - Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons

032 - Marbles in My Underpants by Renee French (Oni Press)

031 - Catwoman Volumes One through Four by Ed Brubaker, Darwyn Cooke, et al (DC Comics)

030 - Bluesman by Rob Vollmar and Pablo Callejo (NBM)

029 - The Castaways by Rob Vollmar and Pablo Callejo (NBM)

028 - DC: The New Frontier by Darwyn Cooke (DC Comics)

027 - Mad Love by Paul Dini and Bruce Timm (DC Comics)

026 - The Journal Comic by Drew Weing (Self-published)

025 - 32 Stories by Adrian Tomine (Drawn and Quarterly)

024 - The Amazing Remarkable Monsieur Leotard by Eddie Campbell and Dan Best (First Second)

023 - It's A Good Life If You Don't Weaken by Seth (Drawn and Quarterly)

022 - Street Angel by Jim Rugg and Brian Maruca (SLG)

021 - Batman: Year One by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli (DC Comics)

020 - Daredevil: Born Again by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli (Marvel Comics)

019 - Criminal by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (three volumes to date) (Marvel/Icon)

018 - Sleeper by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (four volumes) (DC/Wildstorm)

017 - Fun Home by Alison Bechdel (Houghton Mifflin)

016 - The Complete Peanuts by Charles Schulz (Fantagraphics Books)

015 - King-Cat Classix by John Porcellino (Drawn and Quarterly)

014 - Locas by Jaime Hernandez (Fantagraphics Books)

013 - The Frank Book by Jim Woodring (Fantagraphics Books)

012 - The Ticking by Renée French (Top Shelf)

011 - Bob and Harv's Comics by Harvey Pekar and R. Crumb (4 Walls 8 Windows)

010 - Palomar by Gilbert Hernandez (Fantagraphics Books)

009 - Alec: How to be an Artist by Eddie Campbell (Top Shelf)

008 - Hey, Wait... by Jason (Fantagraphics Books)

007 - Ghost World by Dan Clowes (Fantagraphics Books)

006 - Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth by Chris Ware (Pantheon)

005 - American Elf: The Collected Sketchbook Diaries of James Kochalka (Top Shelf)

004 - Ice Haven by Dan Clowes (Pantheon)

003 - Louis Riel by Chester Brown (Drawn and Quarterly)

002 - Diary of a Teenage Girl by Phoebe Gloeckner (Frog LTD)

001 - From Hell by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell (Top Shelf)


(Of course it should go without saying that just because I've read something doesn't mean I liked it, although for most of the items on this list I did enjoy reading them.)

Shameless Friend Promotion

A good pal from my long ago high school days, Todd Adams, is one of the driving forces behind Star Trek: Osiris, a new Trek fan film series debuting later this fall. There's a nice article about their production in yesterday's Detroit News: "Diehard 'Star Trek' fans create their own series for the Web."

Cartoon Dirge

Bizarro is brought to you today by Shrouds 'N More. "Filling your final needs since 1973."

The Grim Reaper has been a cartoon cliche for decades and rightly so. What could be funnier than death? Okay, you're right, almost anything is, but still, he makes a terrific spokesperson for what is untenably a very unpopular product.

The surprising origins of the Grim Reaper are fascinating. The character first appeared in a Road Runner comic book in 1914, at the height of the Nazi scourge of Europe. Because Hitler invariably wore solid black, the color was assigned to G.R. The skeleton face, hands and feet were a recent addition, however, the original reaper had no face but the hands and feet of a house cat, presumably because they are such good hunters.

Most interesting of all, perhaps, is the implement G.R. never seems to be without. Most modern-day hominids assume it is a scythe, but according to the comic in which the character originated (Road Runner vs. The Black Terror, #45, page 13) the weapon is "wrought from the crooked limb of the baobab tree, fixed with the fang of a saber-toothed tiger."

Furthermore, the original character had a prominent upside-down star, or "pentagon," on his chest, the well-known symbol of the Nazi Party. Historians tell us, however, that even though they carried that name proudly, the Nazis were not particularly good party givers. Many personal accounts and documents from the era recount how stingy the Nazis were with snacks and libations and that their choice in party music was, "dour and sometimes downright dirge-like."

Whatever your opinion of death, Nazies, WWI, or the Road Runner, I hope you enjoyed today's cartoon.

Plagues

Bizarro is brought to you today by National Economy Statistics. "Open your eyes, yo. Are you kidding me with dis?"

When I look at the state of our nation over the past 7 1/2 years, it is impossible for me to believe that this election is even close. A nation populated by gophers and spider monkeys would have more sense.

The economy is in the toilet and getting worse, our allies have abandoned us (for good reason), and our constitution has been shredded. That doesn't even mention the moral dilemmas of the Iraq war, state-sanctioned torture, Guantanamo Bay, and tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans and their corporations. How is Obama not ahead by 90%?

But let's talk about moths instead. A few months ago, as suddenly as a poltergeist's sneeze, there were little moths all over my house. I don't mean like-syrup-on-a-pancake all over, I mean I see one fluttering by every hour or so, I see one on the wall or two on the ceiling, the cats regularly dance through the room chasing one, that sort of thing. I even find them in kitchen drawers. Drawers without sweaters.

I've been to the hardware store but can't find any product that might rid me of this Old Testament plague. Anyone out there got a natural remedy of some sort? Like misting the house with a solution of lemongrass, garlic and household bleach? One of those kind of things?

And if you are actually considering voting for John McCain, at least realize that McCain has voted with Bush over 90% of the time, so you're voting for four more years of Bush's policies. Not even a spider monkey could argue that.

BIZARRO COMEDY SHOWS!!!

Don't forget that NEXT WEEK I'm doing four comedy shows in NoCal. If you're within driving distance and you don't get to one of them, your grandkids will hate you for not having better stories about the old days.

Oakland California, Wed., Sept 10
San Francisco, Thurs., Sept 11
Sacramento, Sat., Sept 13

Click the links for tickets/info.

Dude (as the kids say), seriously, these shows are more fun than skydiving nude.



SPECIAL NOTE--NO FRIDAY SHOW!!: When I first listed these shows, I had the WRONG DATE on the late show at the Purple Onion on Thursday. Three tickets were sold before I noticed the error and have not been able to get the ticket company to respond to my emails. IF YOU HAVE A TICKET FOR THE PURPLE ONION ON FRIDAY SEPT 12, IT IS IN ERROR! Let me hear from you if going on Thursday is a problem and I'll get your money back. Thanks!

Tall Orders

Today's Bizarro is brought to you buy Clandestine Brand String Beans.

This is one of those rare cartoons that arose from personal experience. At 6 feet 7 1/2 inches tall, I get these kinds of comments all of the time and believe me, it is very tiresome. Why must we make such shallow judgments about our fellow man based on the way they look? Assuming a tall guy plays a lot of basketball is like assuming a really hairy guy dresses up as Bigfoot on weekends and jogs through the woods.

If this kind of comment is just a way to make conversation, then why not choose something else? How about, "Gee, you smell nice. Your hygiene must be excellent." Or whatever happened to, "If I had a chance to give (name of favorite movie star) a hickey, I sure would. How about you?"

There are lots of ways to converse with strangers without making it about their physical characteristics. Take it from a hugely tall and athletic guy like me, it gets tiresome.

One final note: "Barb" from Marble Falls wrote to me and said that her beanpole nephew's usual response to the basketball question is, "No, but I imagine you play a lot of miniature golf."

I'm going to have to borrow that one.

Victim of Parody

(WARNING: If the above cartoon seems blurry and/or difficult to read, seek medical attention immediately. Or, just click on it and look at a larger version.)

Bizarro is brought to you today by Citizens Who Wonder Who The Hell is Francesco Marciuliano and Why Does He Deserve So Many Vowels In His Name?

About a month ago, I took a week off from my 365-new-cartoons-a-year-for-23-years schedule and another cartoonist filled in for me. He did seven cartoons, but this Sunday panel printed many weeks later than the Monday through Saturday ones, because my own production schedule isn't in sync.

This parody of the children's book classic, The Little Prince, seems innocuous enough at first glance, but apparently possesses a seedy underbelly that is roiling with controversy. Read this letter sent to the editor of a major North American newspaper:

We once called the comic strips the funny pages. Why are they no
longer funny? The bulk of the current offerings are negative, some
verging on the abhorrent. In this latter category, I place this
feeble attempt at humor. At best, it elicits a sigh of disgust. At
worst, it mocks The Little Prince, the wartime masterpiece by Antoine
de Saint-Exupery. This runaway world best seller may be understood on
several levels. It captivates as a children's tale. It symbolically
tells the story of creation. At its peak, it is the autobiography of
a sensitive and lost soul dedicating his work to a dear friend in need
of consolation. The friend is cold and hungry in Nazi-occupied
France, while the author is safe in New York. Lines for the story
appear in every book of quotations. "It is only with the heart that
one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye." (The
original French is even more beautiful.) Writing like that deserves
better treatment than an ill-considered distortion.

I've seen many such letters over the years from readers who did not like the way I treated a religious or political topic, but never one about a piece of literature. I never quibble with a person's opinion of a creative effort, we all have our individual opinions and perspective, which is part of what makes art interesting. But as a humorist, I don't feel that any topic is above parody under the right circumstances.

I also wonder who this reader sees as the victim of this "ill-considered" act. I don't believe in victimless crimes. To me it is simple: no victim–no crime. That's why I don't believe in laws against things like gay marriage, marijuana, physician-assisted suicide, or parody. Imagined victims are a big part of our society, however. I've gotten many letters over the years from people who object to my putting the hidden stick of dynamite in my cartoons for fear it will "give ideas to terrorists". If a terrorist is getting his ideas from the funny pages, he's much more likely to be a danger to himself than to any of us.

All this aside, the most curious line in the letter is this one: We once called the comic strips the funny pages. Why are they nolonger funny?

Since when have newspaper comics ever been funny?