Stop Gaps
by Dan Nadel
Thursday, July 6, 2006
Here’s the problem with running a magazine and a blog: there’s just not enough time. I’m in the midst of closing my Brian Chippendale and Julie Doucet books and editing the next Ganzfeld. Things are hectic. That said, I have been meaning to write a lengthy blog entry on some new Manga and Scott Pilgrim. So much so that I keep carrying the books back and forth from home to office and back again, looking for the spare hours to sit down and write. I expect to find them over the weekend. Until then, here’s a totally lame list format blog entry.
Current Comics Reading List (from memory):
Enigma by Peter Milligan. This odd 90s relic from Vertigo Comics is, well, really odd. I hope to write about it extensively when I’m done.
Sub-Mariner in Tales to Astonish. Bill Everett rules.
I tried to read Civil War from Marvel, just to see…like dipping a toe in the ocean. Man, what a drag. Superhero comics these days are so dour. This is no exception. Kinda boring and short on any real appeal or insight.
Monologues for the Coming Plague: A remarkable new book from Anders…it has the kind of light hearted philosophical heft of William Steig books from the 40s and 50s. Searching, funny cartoons.
William Steig original drawings at Adam Baumgold Gallery. 13 original drawings from The Lonely Ones. These are more lush, striking and daring than I ever imagined, and I already loved the book. Steig, like Steinberg, burns so bright on the page.
Power of 6 by Jon Lewis. One of my favorite cartoonists from the early 90s boomlet returns with this superhero comic. It works–funny, exciting, and authentic. It’s so nice to see his drawings again.
Various Paper Rad mini-comics. I’m combing through for some old material for an upcoming Paper Rad digest book.
Eddie Campbell’s Fate of the Artist. I’m not sure what to think yet. Campbell is a fascinating cartoonist, and this oddly formatted tome is no exception. But I’m still reading it and wondering about it.
Oh, and also various issues of Alter Ego. Hmm.
Labels: Alter Ego, Anders Nilsen, Bill Everett, Brian Chippendale, Eddie Campbell, Jon Lewis, Julie Doucet, Paper Rad, Peter Milligan, Recent Reading, superheroes
Huh, I meant to comment about Enigma awhile back, when there was discussion about superhero comics “all grown up.” I think that one works due to the fact that it’s mostly playing with imagery and being about superhero comics at the same time it’s about other things.
Also, while I’m here and commenting- I’m interested in writing an appreciation of Brendan McCarthy for Comics Comics, but I don’t know how interested the you’d be in running it, because I haven’t seen the magazine itself it to get a feel for its content.
I should maybe explain who I am, and what I’ve written about comics before. To connect to the post at hand, I’ll say that I wrote a review, found at comicbookgalaxy.com/review_111605_bigquestions_BN.html of the first Drawn And Quarterly issue of Big Questions. I also had a post at the Comics Journal message board about Scott Pilgrim and Paper Rad both dealing with some of the same influences and cultural reference points, but coming at them differently, which ended with a tortured metaphor about Sonic Youth opening acts. I can be shot down privately at quishquosh@hotmail.com
Writers who want to pitch ideas for the magazine should contact us directly via e-mail (see profiles) — rather than through the comments section.
It’s just easier that way.
Thanks!
William Steig original drawings at Adam Baumgold Gallery. 13 original drawings from The Lonely Ones.
Hey, is this a catalogue published by the gallery? As one of my prized possessions is a copy of The Lonely Ones that I acquired at a thrift store, I’d like to track this down, if possible.