www.86thfloor.com     PREVIEWS VOL. XVIII #5 May 2008  

Independent Comic Publishers
(Companies beginning with F)

FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS

DEITCH'S PICTORAMA SC
by Kim, Seth & Simon Deitch
Kim Deitch, creator of the acclaimed Fantagraphics collection Shadowland and the cover feature interview in this month's The Comics Journal #292, has recruited his siblings to produce a unique, all-new "picto-fiction" pocket book. Alternating between heavily illustrated near-comics stories and outright prose pieces, Deitch’s Pictorama is a testament to the Deitch family's amazing yarn-spinning abilities! Kim's lengthy picto-story "The Sunshine Girl" leads off — a typically Deitchean tall tale involving bottle cap collectors, drug dealers, family secrets, and the innocents who wind up in the middle of the hullaballoo. Seth's prose short story, "Children of Aruf," features a man and his very unusual dog; "Unlikely Hours," a paranoid picto-story about a conspiracy of sentient rats written by Seth and illustrated by Kim; the prose novella "The Golem," once again written by Seth and decorated with a series of superb pencil illustrations by Simon; and finally Kim's autobiographical "The Cop on the Beat, the Man in the Moon and Me." This entire "Deitch treat" is wrapped up with an introduction by legendary Academy Award-winning animator, cartoonist and illustrator and proud papa Gene Deitch.
SC, 6x8, 240pgs, B&W SRP: $18.99

HUMBUG HC
by Harvey Kurtzman, with Jack Davis, Will Elder, Al Jaffee & Arnold Roth
Harvey Kurtzman changed the face of American humor when he created the legendary MAD comic. As editor and chief writer from its inception in 1952 until he left MAD in 1956, he influenced an entire generation of cartoonists, comedians, and filmmakers. In 1962, he co-created the long-running Little Annie Fanny with his long-time artistic partner Will Elder for Playboy, which he continued to produce until his virtual retirement in 1988. Between MAD and Annie Fanny, Kurtzman’s biographies note that he created and edited three other magazines, Trump, Humbug, and Help!, but, whereas his MAD and Annie Fanny are readily available in reprint form, his major satirical work in the interim period is virtually unknown. To those who treasure the rare original copies, Humbug equals or even exceeds MAD in displaying Kurtzman’s creative genius. Humbug was unique in that it was actually published by the artists who created it — Kurtzman and his cohorts from MAD Will Elder, Jack Davis, and Al Jaffee, were joined by universally acclaimed cartoonist Arnold Roth. With no publisher above them to rein them in, this band of creators produced some of the most trenchant and engaging satire of American culture ever to appear on American newsstands. At last, the entire 11-issue run is reprinted in a deluxe format, much of it reproduced from the original art, allowing even owners of the original cheaply-printed issues to experience the full impact for the first time. (C: 0-1-2)
HC, 8x10, 400pgs, PC SRP: $50.00

LOVE & ROCKETS: NEW STORIES #1
by The Brothers Hernandez
Love & Rockets: New Stories #1 reboots the beloved ongoing Love & Rockets comic into a fat, annual graphic novel-length package! Jaime launches the new format with a story that's unusual even for him — a full-on, pulse-pounding super-hero yarn! Maggie's longtime friend Penny Century has finally realized her longtime dream of acquiring super-powers, but at a terrible personal cost. Now she rampages through the galaxy, half mad with grief, and a motley group of super-heroes assembles to try to stop her — led by Maggie's girlfriend Angel and her mysterious neighbor Alarma, and involving a number of characters longtime Love and Rockets fans will delight in recognizing. The epic-length 50-page story (only the first half of the saga!) combines Jaime's razor sharp characterization and superlative art with wildly inventive, Kirby-style slam-bang super-hero action. Then Gilbert Hernandez explodes with a similarly generous helping of his fantastically creative one-shot short stories: "Tamanny" (rookie cop vs. demonic drug users); "Papa" (a turn-of-the-century story involving a traveling businessman); "The New Adventures of Duke and Sammy" (super-powered Martin and Lewis impostors in outer space); "The Tender Room" (Into the Wild as re-imagined by Beto); "Chiro el Indio" (written by third brother Mario Hernandez); and "Never Say Never" (a kangaroo gets lucky in Las Vegas). One hundred pages of Jaime, Gilbert and Mario Hernandez at the peak of their powers!
SC, 6x9, 112pgs, B&W SRP: $14.99

MOME VOLUME 12 GN
edited by Gary Groth & Eric Reynolds
MOME welcomes back French great Killoffer and also features returning regulars Jonathan Bennett, Sophie Crumb, Andrice Arp, Paul Hornschemeier, Kurt Wolfgang, Tom Kaczynski, Dash Shaw, Joe Kimball, Robert Goodin and Ray Fenwick. Also, the return of fan favorite Al Columbia as well as Sara Edward-Corbett’s MOME debut, plus several other surprises from some of the best new talent in comics. MOME is an accessible, reasonably priced quarterly publication, mostly in color, and spotlighting the most exciting new storytellers in comics along with special surprises. MOME has earned earning a reputation as one of the premier literary anthologies on the shelves, and the only one composed almost entirely of comics.
SC, 7x9, 120pgs, FC SRP: $14.99

TALES DESIGNED TO THRIZZLE #4
by Michael Kupperman
The eagerly anticipated fourth volume of Thrizzle does something no comic magazine has ever done before — it helps your family organize its entire day! Every page is dedicated to a half-hour of an average 16-hour cycle, allowing it to compliment and entertain along the way with Pagus, Twain and Einstein, The Scaredy Kids, and Jungle Princess!
MATURE THEMES
6.5x9.5, 32pgs, PC SRP: $4.50

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O/A TALES DESIGNED TO THRIZZLE #1-3
by Michael Kupperman
The ongoing series by cartoonist Michael Kupperman, whose cartooning regularly graces the pages of The Believer and The New Yorker. This dense comic magazine includes "Uncle Billy's Drunken, Bitter Guide to the Animal Kingdom," new Pablo Picasso adventures, information on sex blimps and sex holes, scary snakes, delicious bacon, Johnny Silhouette, Private Eye, and The Silver Knight! And create your own adventure with the Space Patrol, Murder She Didn't Write!, and more!
MATURE THEMES
#1—32pgs, PC SRP: $4.50
#2—32pgs, PC SRP: $4.50
#3—32pgs, B&W SRP: $4.50

CASTLE WAITING VOLUME II #12
by Linda Medley
Henry, Dayne, Chess, Tolly, Peace, and Simon wage an all-out ninepin war — and it turns out one of them has heretofore unsuspected bowling skills! Like all good sports competitions it's a high-stakes battle to the very last frame. Meanwhile, back in the kitchen, Dinah and Jain pull out more and more dresses from the bottomless trunk and use a not-terribly-resistant Rackham to model them. All this, plus conjectures about what the heck's going on with the mysterious, elusive, and somewhat sinister Dr. Fell.
24pgs, B&W SRP: $3.95

MINESHAFT #22
edited by Gioia Palmieri
In Mineshaft "Muscle Beach Beauties" vintage photos of women daredevils at Muscle Beach, California by O.J. Heller with front cover lettering and design by Robert Armstrong! New drawings by R. Crumb! Comix jam centerfold by Kim Deitch and Jay Lynch! "The Other Women in Comics!" by Mary Fleener! "Pat and Corky" by J.R. Helton! Aaron Lange reviews "Stuff of Dreams!” Plus, letters from around the globe and more!
MATURE THEMES
52pgs, B&W SRP: $6.95

THE COMICS JOURNAL #292
edited by Gary Groth, Mike Dean & Kristy Valenti
Gary Groth interviews father and son cartoonists Gene and Kim Deitch. Academy-award-winning Gene Deitch, whose wide-ranging career has spanned over 60 years, talks about doing illustrations for The Record Changer, directing cartoons such as Munro and Krazy Kat, and creating his comic strip Terr’ble Thompson. Underground comics pioneer Kim Deitch, touches on his father’s influence, reminisces about the New York-based scene and outlines the evolution of Waldo the Cat. Plus: The innovative Grant Morrison fills us in on his X-Men run, All Star Superman, the ambitious Seven Soldiers “maxiseries,” and how he became one of the architects of the current DC Comics universe. Finally, the comics gallery presents an historical essay and highlights from the turn-of-the-19th-century work of Puck cartoonist, F. M. Howarth.
Magazine, 200pgs, PC SRP: $11.95

OFFERED AGAIN

O/A THE COMICS JOURNAL LIBRARY VOLUME 7: HARVEY KURTZMAN TP
The seventh volume in this distinguished series focuses entirely on one of comics’ most esteemed and influential creators, Harvey Kurtzman, whose complete Comics Journal interviews are collected in this lavishly illustrated full-color edition. Obscurities unearthed from Kurtzman’s solo freelance career from Children’s Digest, Pageant, U.S. Crime, Varsity and Why, are featured, most of which haven’t been seen since their original publication.
SC, 12x12, 124pgs, PC SRP: $19.95

THE COMPLETE CRUMB COMICS VOLUME 11 SC (NEW PRINTING)
by R. Crumb
Mr. Natural is commited to a mental institution! This freshly reprinted volume contains Crumb classics Dirty Laundry #2, the last of the Arcade strips, full-cover covers for books, comics and LPs, and Crumb’s complete serial from the pages fo the Villiage Voice. Relive the 20th century with Crumb!
SC, 8.5x11, 136pgs, PC SRP: $19.99

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O/A WE ALL DIE ALONE HC
by Mark Newgarden
Cartoonist Mark Newgarden debuted in the first issue of RAW magazine in 1980 and his work subsequently found its way into a variety of high and low profile media. He co-created the '80s pop culture fad Garbage Pail Kids, wrote and drew a weekly syndicated humor feature in the '90s, and created a "Web Premiere Toon" for The Cartoon Network called "B. Happy." Newgarden is currently developing an unconventional Christmas special for The Cartoon Network. Newgarden's comics are hilarious, alarming, and masterful uses of the medium, alternating between old-time gags and avant-garde storytelling, often on the same page without missing a comedic beat. Those syndicated comics will make up the bulk of this book, the balance drawing on Newgarden's long form stories from various anthologies, including the much-lauded "Love's Savage Fury." This book is a full picture of the artist, his influences, and his many other careers. Newgarden remains a great link to the past while moving ever further into the future. We All Die Alone is an uproariously funny and fascinating book that will appeal to comics readers, pop culture buffs, and any appreciator of the graphic arts.
HC, 8x9, 224pgs, PC SRP: $28.95

O/A THE KAT WHO WALKED IN BEAUTY: PANORAMIC DAILIES OF 1920 HC
by George Herriman
The Kat Who Walked In Beauty collects many rare and unique dailies from the 1910s and 1920s. Though many readers are aware of Herriman's dynamic Sunday pages, few know that during 1920, in what must have been an editorially unrestrictive period for Herriman, he drew some of the most graphic and brilliantly conceived daily strips ever created — they look like "mini-Sunday" strips. This nine-month stretch of dailies, never-before-reprinted, is among the treasures included in this collection. The collection includes many other Herriman gems, including the very first stand-alone Krazy & Ignatz strips from 1911, and the illustrations from Herriman"s Krazy Kat Jazz pantomime/ballet, performed to captivated New York audiences in 1922.
HC, 11x15, 144pgs, B&W SRP: $29.95

STARS OF THE MONTH

THE LAST MUSKETEER SC
by Jason
Set in the present time, The Last Musketeer stars the by-now centuries old musketeer Athos, who has been reduced to a suavely dressed but useless near-panhandler trading on his now almost extinct fame. All this changes when one day the Martians attack Earth. Suddenly there is a need for swashes to be buckled, and Athos leaps back into the fray with a vengeance. The Last Musketeer is a vintage sci-fi adventure with a unique twist from an internationally acclaimed cartoonist. (OCT073506)
SC, 7x10, 48pgs, FC SRP: $12.95

LUST KINKY: ONLINE PERSONAL ADS FROM SEATTLE'S STRANGER HC
by Ellen Forney
Ellen Forney’s follow-up to her wildly successful I Love Led Zeppelin is a collection of cartoons celebrating the sometimes stunningly crude, sometimes surprisingly sweet online world of personal classifieds. Forney has for several years been illustrating the Seattle alt-weekly The Stranger’s “Lustlab” classified ads by interpreting the most interesting, outrageous, or idiosyncratic ad in that week’s paper. To cap it off, the collection includes an introduction by the notorious sex advice columnist and novelist (and Stranger editor), Dan Savage! (OCT073508)
MATURE THEMES
HC, 6x7, 168pgs, B&W SRP: $19.95

THE PIN-UP ART OF DAN DECARLO VOLUME 2 SC
by Alex Chun & Jacob Covey
For more than 40 years, Dan DeCarlo best known for his definitive renditions of Archie Comics’ Betty and Veronica, two of comics’ most beloved icons. But before joining Archie and unbeknownst to many, DeCarlo has honed his skills as a good girl artist for the Humorama line of digest magazines. Following the immensely popular The Pin-Up Art of Dan DeCarlo, this second volume once again displays DeCarlo’s sexiest Humorama pin-up cartoons, and continues Fanatagraphics’ dedication to showcasing the best of the classic pin-up cartoonists. (OCT073504)
MATURE THEMES
SC, 6x8, 216pgs, B&W SRP: $18.95

EROS COMIX

DIRTY STORIES GN'S
SEE PREVIEWS ADULT FOR MORE INFORMATION (C: 1-0-0) NOTE: Not available in Canada, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, & the U.K.
ADULT MATERIAL
VOLUME 2: DIRTIER STORIES (STAR15276)—SC, 7x10, 128pgs, B&W SRP: $15.95
VOLUME 3 (STAR16334)—SC, 7x10, 176pgs, B&W SRP: $16.95

MILFS ON MARS GN
SEE PREVIEWS ADULT FOR MORE INFORMATION (SEP073664) (C: 1-0-0) NOTE: Not available in Canada, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, & the U.K.
ADULT MATERIAL
SC, 48pgs, FC SRP: $9.95

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SIRIANUS #1
SEE PREVIEWS ADULT FOR MORE INFORMATION (C: 1-0-0) NOTE: Not available in Canada, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Indonesia, & the U.K.
ADULT MATERIAL
7x10, 24pgs, B&W SRP: $4.95

FANTASY PRONE LLC

UNITED FREE WORLDS #2
by Leibel, Wood, Blaine, Raines & Aronson
As armies collide, the outmatched UFW forces quickly realize they face an impossible foe. Obliterating Earth’s legions, the fearless, battle-hardened Creotrians conduct a brutal symphony of destruction. The Cretorian's harrowing journey across the universe reveals the truth behind the Cretorian tribes, culture and history.
44pgs, FC (2 of 6) SRP: $2.99

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O/A LAIKA
by Nick Abadzis
Laika was an abandoned puppy destined to become Earth's first space traveler. Nick Abadzis masterfully blends fiction and fact in the intertwined stories of three compelling lives. Along with Laika, there is Korolev, the driven engineer at the top of the Soviet space program, and Yelena, the lab technician responsible for Laika's health and life. Abadzis gives life to a pivotal moment in modern history, casting light on the hidden moments of deep humanity behind history. Available in Softcover and a Collector's Edition Hardcover. A YALSA Top Ten Graphic Novel.
SOFTCOVER—SC, 6x8, 208pgs, FC SRP: $17.95
HARDCOVER—HC, 6x8, 208pgs, FC SRP: $29.95

STARS OF THE MONTH

NOTES FOR A WAR STORY GN
by Gipi
When war comes, it doesn’t just change your food, your clothes, and your home. It changes your beliefs, your dreams, and your understanding of the world. Swept up in a war he never thought would happen, Giuliano begins to question what he’s fighting for — if he’s even fighting for anything. Notes for a War Story is an honest and important graphic novel about the consequences of war. (JUN073575)
SC, 6x9, 128pgs, FC SRP: $16.95

ROBOT DREAMS GN
by Sara Varon
When the dog gets lonely, he builds himself a friend from a mail-order robot kit. Soon the two are happily sharing movies, popcorn, and peaceful evenings — until a summer’s day swim leaves the robot rusted and immobile. Robot Dreams chronicles the next year: the dog’s desperate search for new friends and the robot’s dreams of his lost friend, the dog. Robot Dreams tells a moving story of friendship, loneliness, and forgiveness. (JUN073574)
SC, 6x8, 208pgs, FC SRP: $16.95

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