Monkey Covers

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

A little for you James Kochalka fans out there with the cover to his 2003 graphic novel Monkey vs. Robot and the Crystal of Power.

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

YAFQ: Giant Squid?

(Warning: Spoiler of sorts for the end of Watchmen)

The origin of this week's Yet Another Friday Question is in a conversation I had a couple of days ago:

The conversation turned (as sadly a majority of my conversations do) to graphic novels. M mentioned that she had recently read Watchmen, only her third graphic novel ever (after Maus and Persepolis). She liked it, but didn't care much for the ending, specifically the giant squid. J and I--both long-time comic readers--said that we didn't mind the giant squid and thought that it worked. M said that she had done some unscientific polling and that people had one of two reactions: "Giant Squid? Really?" or "Yeah, Giant Squid!"; and that those reactions broke down along gender lines.

So our Friday question to you is this:

What did you think of the giant squid in the last chapter of Watchmen?

New Library Comics: Week of July 9, 2007

Here's a list of the comics we added to our library collection last week:


Baker, Bill Alan Moore's Exit Interview /Milford, CT Airwave Publishing 2007

Baumann, Suzanne. Turtleneck Boy /Hamtramck, Mich. : Suzanne Baumann, [1998]- no. 5

Beland, Tom. True story, swear to God : [chances are...] /San Francisco, CA : AIT/Planet LAR, 2005, c2003.

Beland, Tom. True story, swear to God : this one goes to 11 /San Francisco, CA : AiT/Planet Lar, 2005.

Character sketches : Trauma & Joy /Applecross WA, Australia Gestalt Publishing 2007

Coyle, Matt Worry Doll /Derby, UK Mam Tor Publishing c2007.

Hernandez, Gilbert. Heartbreak soup : a love and rockets book [the first volume of 'Palomar' stories from love & rockets] /Seattle, Wash. : Fantagraphics ; 2007.

Hernandez, Jaime. Maggie the mechanic : a love and rockets book [the first volume of 'locas' stories from love & rockets] /Seattle, Wash. : Fantagraphics ; 2007.

Hyland, Mike. Trip /Lower Sackville, N.S. : Costello Comics, [2000]- no. 2

Jensen, K. Thor. Red eye, black eye /Gainesville, Fla. : Alternative Comics ; London : Diamond [distributor], 2007.

Kemble, Joshua NUMB /Long Beach, CA Joshua Kemble 2006

Kominsky-Crumb, Aline, 1948- Need more love /London : MQ, c2007.

Lehmann, Matthias. HWY.115 /Seattle, Wash. : Fantagraphics ; London : Turnaround [distributor], 2006.

Linsner, Joseph Michael, 1968- Angry Christ comix /Berkeley, Calif. : Image ; London : Diamond [distributor], 2006.

Mahler, Nicolas Lone racer. /Atlanta : Top Shelf Productions, 2006.

Marti Calvario Hills /Seattle Fantagraphics Books - Coconino Press 2007 no. 1

Messner-Loebs, William. Welcome to heaven, Dr. Franklin /Thousand Oaks, Calif. : About Comics, c2005.

Nicholson, Jeff. Colonia : islands and anomalies /San Francisco, CA : AiT/PlanetLar, 2002.

Nicholson, Jeff. Colonia : On into the great lands. /San Francisco, CA : AiT/PlanetLar, c2005.

Niles, Steve. Big book of horror /San Diego, Calif. : IDW ; London : Diamond [distributor], 2006.

Nilsen, Anders The End. /Seattle Fantagraphics Books and Coconino Press 2007 no. 1

Omand, Jennifer. Squarecat comics : small, square and sarcastic /Rochester, NH Jetpack Press 2006 vol. 2

Ortalani, Leo. Tutto Rat-man /Modena [Italy] : Panini Comics, 2002- nos. 6, 7, 19

Thank God it's ugly. /Sittard, Holland : Monguzzi Foundation, 1994-2002. nos. 5-6

Thurber, Matthew 1-800-MICE /Brooklyn Picture Box 2007 no. 1

Tinkle digest. /Bombay : H.G. Mirchandani for India Book House, [199-?]- v.10 no. 11

TRS-80 computer whiz kids. /Mamaroneck, N.Y. : Archie Comics, 1984-

Turok, son of Stone. /New York, N.Y. : Dell Pub. Co., 1954- nos. 105-106

New This Week in Brief: July 18, 2007

Going 'in brief' last time worked well, so here's another quick look at what should be good on the shelf tomorrow:


Two non-fiction graphic 'novellas' from my pal Jim Ottaviani: Levitation: The Physics Psychology Service of Deception with art by Janine Johnston; and Wire Mothers: Harry Harlow & the Science of Love with art by Dylan Meconis. You should buy and read both; you'll be both entertained and a little smarter when you're done.

Eric Powell's The Goon returns with issue #19.

Two of Boom!'s best series have new issues: Cover Girl #3 and Fall of Cthulhu #4.

A couple of once-in-a-blue-moon comics hit the shelves this week: Licensable Bear #4 and Lenore #13.

The final issue of Jeff Smith's delightful Shazam!: The Monster Society of Evil comes in from DC.

Random House releases the fourth installment of the super-popular Flight anthology.

If you've got some serious coin weighing down your pocket, you may want to take a gander at Mike Allred's Madman Gargantua hardcover, presenting every Madman story to date (prior to the recent Image series, that is).

And for maximum destructive fun, Marvel has the second issue of World War Hulk.

I know, I know, I said 'in brief'. There's even a heck of a lot more waiting for you tomorrow at your FLCS!

Monkey Covers

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

Giant gorillas know how to cool off on those hot midsummer days, as per the cover of Mad House Comics #122.

(Standard disclaimer about giant ice cream eating gorillas not really being monkeys applies.)

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

YAFQ: This Year's "Wow" Comic?

It's the return (for one week at least) of Yet Another Friday Question! This week's question is:

Has there been a "WOW" comic yet in 2007?

We're already more that halfway through the year. Has a comic come out that's really made you stand up and take notice? That you can't stop telling people about?

For me, not really. Don't get me wrong, there have been some very good comics: Jeff Lemire's Tales from the Farm; a new volume of Yotsuba&!; a couple of issues of All-Star Superman; Marvel Adventures: The Avengers #12.

But nothing that's really Wowed me. Nothing on the order of Fun Home or We3 or Ganges yet.

Of course there's still 5 and a half months left in the year. And with all the comics coming out these days, I'm sure to have missed something really good.

So tell me: Has a comic come out this year that's Wowed you?

New Library Comics: Week of July 2, 2007

Here's a list of the comics that we added to our library collection last week:


Chadwick, Paul (Paul H.) World below /Milwaukie, Or. : Dark Horse ; Enfield : Publishers Group UK [distributor], c2006.

Goff, Cindy. Tales from the heart /Brooklyn Center, Minn. : Entropy Enterprises, 1987- no. 1

Hurd, Damon. Temporary /Newburgh, N.Y. : Origin Comics, 2004- no. 1

Kochalka, James. Super f*ckers /Marietta, GA : Top Shelf, 2005- nos. 271, 277

Kouno, Fumiyo. Town of evening calm, country of cherry blossoms /San Francisco, Calif. : Last Gasp, 2006.

Kraatz, Rebecca. House of sugar /[Canada] : Tulip Tree Press, 2006.

Kupperman, Michael, 1966- Tales designed to thrizzle /Seattle, Wash. : Fantagraphics, 2005- no. 1

Lasko-Gross, Miss. Escape from "special" /Seattle : Fantagraphics, 2006.

Moebs, Chris. Taters and gators /Taylor, Mich. : Lefty Comics, 2004- no. 1

Richie Rich & Casper. /New York, N.Y. : Harvey Publications, 1974- nos. 9, 17

Roberts, Scott. Patty Cake & friends /San Jose, Calif. : SLG ; 2006.

Ryan, Johnny. Back in Bleck /Seattle, Wash. : Fantagraphics ; London : Turnaround [distributor], 2007.

Sandlin, David, 1956- Swamp preacher /Seattle, Wash. : Fantagraphics Books, 2006. no. 1

Spain (Cartoonist) Subvert comics /San Francisco, Calif. : Rip Off Press, c1970- no. 1

Suburban high life. /San Jose, Ca. : Slave Labor Graphics no. 2

Superior showcase. /Richmond, Va. : AdHouse Books, 2006- no. 1

Takashige, Hiroshi. Striker : the armored warrior /San Francisco, Calif. : Viz Communications, c1992. nos. 1-4

Tales from the crypt (Prescott, Ariz.) Tales from the crypt. /Prescott, AZ : Gladstone Pub., c1990-1991. no. 1

Tales of the closet. /New York, NY : Hetrick-Martin Institute, 1987- nos. 7-8

Tomine, Adrian, 1974- Optic nerve. /Montreal, Que. : Drawn & Quarterly Publications, 1995- no. 11

Tytler, Cassandra. Relax baby /[Melbourne, Vic. : s.n., 199-?- ] nos. 1-2, 7