Copacetic Christmas
2004Welcome to the 2004 Copacetic Comics Company Online Christmas Catalogue. It's been a crazy year, and we may ending up holding onto our hats for 2005 as well. We've done our best to assemble those items that will help to provide you and yours with the insight, stamina, humor and grace that we all need to get us through... and all at quite affordable prices (at least we think so!).
Here's what he have so far:
In a hurry? Jump ahead to:
COMICS
BOOKS
MUSIC - CD
CINEMA - DVD
LOW PRICEAnd don't forget that there are many more excellent items to be found in our:
And, yes, we do third-party shipments (i.e. we will ship direct to a recipient at a different address from the purchaser), and we will gift wrap for a nominal charge.
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Locas
by Jaime Hernandez
Here it is, the book that is our lead contender for greatest comics collection of all time. It places between two covers the entirety of the adventures of Maggie and Hopey that transpired during the original fifty-issue run of Love and Rockets. Reña Titanion, Rand Race, Penny Century, H.R. Costigan, Terry, Daffy, Izzy, Speedy, Ray D., Doyle, Danita and all the rest: they're all here. It's big: over 700 pages in all! It's an embossed hardcover edition that's got a swell dust-jacket! Change someone's life, open their eyes with Locas. And don't forget Gilbert's Palomar; we haven't: it's our lead contender for second greatest comics collection of all time.
retail price - $49.95 copacetic price - $39.95
McSweeney's 13 - The Comics Issue
edited by Chris Ware
This book is without question the best available work to introduce the non-comics reader to the wonderful world of contemporary comics. So, if there are any people on your list that you'd like to turn on to comics, this is your best chance. Featuring work by the who's who of progressive comics: Lynda Barry, Jeffrey Brown, Ivan Brunetti, Charles Burns, Chester Brown, Dan Clowes, David Collier, R. Crumb, Kim Deitch, Julie Doucet, Debbie Drechsler, David Heatly, Jaime and Gilberto Hernandez, Ben Katchor, Joe Matt, Richard McGuire, Mark Newgarden, Gary Panter,John Porcellino, Archer Prewitt, Ron Rege, Joe Sacco, Richard Sala, Seth, Art Spiegelman, Adrian Tomine and, of course, Chris Ware, himself. In addition to all this contemporary work, there are selections of classic and archival work sprinkled throughout: Rodolphe Töpfler, Bud Fisher, George Herriman and Charles Schulz. In addition there is a critical appreciation of comics from John Updike, and nostalgiac/elegiac remembrances of comics related experiences by Glen David Gold, Malachi Cohen, and Chip Kidd. NOW IN STOCK!
retail price - $24.00 copacetic price - $20.00
The Complete Peanuts Gift Box: 1950 - 1954
What this is, exactly, is an illustrated and quite sturdy slip-cover containing both volume one and volume two of the Fantagraphics edition of The Complete Peanuts. Make no mistake: these are the exact same books that you would purchase indivudually and that are priced at $28.95 each. Now you can get the first two volumes and a snazzy slipcase and save on the bargain, to boot. This item is pretty much a guaranteed success story as a holiday gift -- as it is obviously intended to be. If, however, you already purchased the first volume, and are now experiencing angst-ridden envy at the thought of missing out on this cool slipcase -- don't! You can still buy this, place your original copy of the first volume in the slipcase, and then give the first volume as a gift; thereby creating a win-win situation.
retail price - $49.95 copacetic price - $39.95We do, of course, also have both the first and the second volume of The Complete Peanuts available on their own.
retail price - $28.95@ copacetic price - $23.15@
American Elf: The Collected Sketchbook Diaries of James Kochalka, October 26, 1998 to December 31, 2003
By James Kochalka
with an introduction by Moby (in comics form!)
THUD! That's the sound this book makes when dropped under the tree. It's a big, fat book, and it will take awhile to go through it. This volume collects all four of the original sketchbook diaries, PLUS a whole extra year, AND has a bonus 32 page (16 in the front, and 16 in the back) color supplement of all new material. The Sketchbook Diaries are a unique work and this collection is a great value. To learn more, visit our Kochalka Sketchbook Diary Page. Over the past five years James Kochalka's Sketchbook Diary -- apearing as American Elf on the web -- has been quietly creating a revolution in the daily comic strip form every bit as important as that of Schulz's Peanuts fifty years earlier. Really.
retail price - $29.95 copacetic price - $23.95And while we're on the topic of comic strip collections, we'd be remiss not to mention these:
Krazy & Ignatz: 1931-1932
by George Herriman
Huzzah! It is a heppy, heppy day. The fourth volume in Fantagraphics fabulous series collecting the entirety of the Sunday pages of George Herriman's amazing masterpiece, Krazy Kat, is here! As with previous volumes, this book contains two complete years of Krazy Kat Sunday pages along with commentary by the "Mr. Know-It-All" of classic newspaper comics, Bill Blackbeard, all between covers designed by contemporary comics ace, Chris Ware. And as a special added bonus, unique (so far) to this volume -- 60 daily Krazy Kat strips from 1931. Huzzah! Learn more about the mouse, the Kat and the (Herri)man here.
retail price - $14.95 copacetic price - $11.95
Mutts: Sunday Afternoons
by Patrick McDonnell
Here it is, the third full-folor collection of Mutts Sunday pages: 144 oversize, horizontally formatted, full color pages collect the entirety of Mutts Sunday pages from 2001 and 2002, all for one amazingly low price. The best comic strip in America keeps on getting better. In addition to this book, we also have the first two color Sunday collections and eight volumes of the B & W collections.
retail price - $12.95 copacetic price - $11.65
Zippy the Pinhead 2003 Annual
by Bill Griffith
Well, now that we here in Pittsburgh don't have Bill Griffith to kick around anymore, the Post-Gazette having shown him the door in October, there's bound to be a few fans here in town -- and, doubtless, elsewhere as well -- that would get a nice boost from receiving the latest Zippy collection.
retail price - $19.95 copacetic price - $16.95
Thrilling Tom the Dancing Bug Stories
by Ruben Bolling
The first full-size collection (8 1/2" x 11"; 224 pages) from one of the brightest lights of the alternative newspaper world is now available. Featuring God-Man, Billy Dare-Boy Adventurer, "Did You Know?", News of the Times and all the rest, this anthology is a one-stop for all things Bolling.
retail price - $16.95 copacetic price - $15.25moving on we have...
American Splendor: Our Movie Year
by Harvey Pekar & Co.
The first original book (as opposed to original comics, later collected in book form) since Our Cancer Year, Our Movie Year is all about exactly what you think: the experiences of Harvey and his wife, Joyce (who together make up the "Our" of the title) before, during and after the making of the American Splendor movie. But there's more: there are a bunch of strips dealing with Harvey's passions: classic jazz & blues, comics & collecting, and Cleveland. As for the artists this time around: there's the usual suspects along with a few new faces. Pittsburgh-based artists have their highest profile ever in a Pekar collection: Pittsburgh transplant, Mark Zingarelli starts the whole thing off with the title track, as it were, and also handed in the art chores on "Blackout," a thirteen-pager on the August 14 blackout. Pittsburgh's own Ed Piskor, a newcomer, closes out the collection with the 24-page (the longest piece in the book!) "Around the World and Back to Earth." Also contributing are long time American Splendor vetrans R. Crumb (only one page, tho'), Gary Dumm (who is the collection's major contributor), Gerry Shamray and Frank Stack. This is a great, well-rounded collection that is sure to be a hit with American Splendor fans, new and die-hard alike.
retail price - $16.95 copacetic price - $14.40
Carnet de Voyage: Travel Journal, Volume One
by Craig Thompson
Well, Thompson's follow-up to Blankets -- his mammoth groundbreaking work of 2003 (and one of our biggest Christmas 2003 sellers) -- is much more that we hoped for when first hearing of it. It's an impressive 224 page softcover trade. The cover has French flaps and is printed on a nice textured stock. It's the contents, however, that are the real surprise. Carnet de Voyage is a travelogue recording Thompson's escapades and adventures in France and Morocco in the spring of this year that is a finely balanced blend of journal and sketchbook that -- importantly -- manages to successfully integrate comics into the mix; and by doing so accomplishes the important task of opening the door for comics to yet another publishing genre -- travel. Looks good!
retail price - $14.95 copacetic price - $12.70
Birth of a Nation
by Aaron McGruder, Reginald Hudlin & Kyle Baker!
This is hands down the most entertaining and insightful political satire of the season. Check it out: Fred Fredericks, idealistic mayor of East St. Louis, rallies his fellow citizens to the polls only to have them become the victims of a trumped up, bogus, mass disenfranchisement. As a radical form of protest Fredericks -- with the assistance of shady Black billionaire and old friend, John Roberts -- decides to have East St. Louis secede from the union. John Roberts opens an "offshore" bank (albeit in the heart of the USA) et voilá East St. Louis becomes The Republic of Blackland, the new Switzerland! Soon idealistic young militants, OPEC-funded hitmen, CIA operatives, tabloid reporters and AWOL black servicemen eager to protect and serve the new nation arrive in swarms. As one might expect, problems arise almost immediately. There's some real serious food for thought here, along with a love story, whacky antics, male bonding and more! Highly recommended.
retail price - $25.00 copacetic price - $21.25
In the Shadow of No Towers
by Art Spiegelman
Pulling this volume out of the box was a rare surprise: It is printed -- cover to cover -- entirely on heavy, glossy board; just like those board books for children, except much, much bigger. This volume measures over 10" x 14", yes, but each page is twice as large -- 20" x 14"! Spiegelman's hope is to evoke the glory days of the Sunday comics pages, but in a durable (nigh indestructible) edition; and to drive this point home, he includes some prime examples -- along with a brief, eloquent introduction -- from the earliest days of the newspaper era of comics in a very nicely done appendix. This is a one of a kind piece, not only of comics, but of 9/11 catharsis.
retail price - $19.95 copacetic price - $16.95
City of Glass: The Graphic Novel
by Paul Auster & David Mazzucchelli
Back in print! Originally published in 1994, the most requested out-of-print volume in the history of the Copacetic Comics Company -- and for good reason: it was a ground-breaking work that remains a classic -- is now back in print: in a nice new edition (with a nice new cover, to boot) that is superior to the original; and that includes a new introduction by Art Spiegelman (see above) that lays out the genesis of this particular work, helping to place it in the proper historical context. Recommended!
retail price - $14.00 copacetic price - $12.60
B. Krigstein Comics
by Berni Krigstein
edited by Greg Sandowski
colored by Marie Severin
Krigstein was one of tne of the maestros's of the atom-age of comics (1946 to 1955), and he get's the royal treatment here. Weighing in at 240 9" x 12" bright-white flat uncoated pages, this deluxe hardcover edition presents thirty-four -- that's right 34 -- complete, uninterrupted Krigstein Klassics, all in full-color (except for one, which was originally produced for a 3-D comic, that is reproduced from an original silverprint). You can be sure that this one's on somebody's wish list.
retail price - $49.95 copacetic price - $39.95
Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return
by Marjane Satrapi
The original volume was one of biggest 2003 Christmas sellers, and here's the follow-up. Find out what happens after Marjane left Iran for Europe in 1984, and then upon her later return to Iran (as the title tells us) in this modestly priced hardcover. This volume is a successful addition to the growing ranks of the coming of age/rite of passage story that comics are especially adept at conveying. "Persepolis 2 is much more than the chronicle of a young woman’s struggle into adulthood; it’s a brilliant, painful, rendering of the contrast between East and West, between the repression of wartime Iran and the social, political, and sexual freedoms of 1980’s Austria. There’s something universal about Satrapi’s search for self-definition, but her experiences in Vienna and Tehran are rendered with such witty particularity, and such heartbreaking honesty, that by the end of this book you’ll feel you’ve gained an intimate friend." -- Julie Orringer, author of How To Breathe Underwater
retail price - $17.95 copacetic price - $15.25
Clyde Fans: Book 1
by Seth
Speaking of Seth, here is his first book length volume since It's A Good Life, If You Don't Weaken. This opening volume of Clyde Fans presents the story of two brothers' five decades of life as small-time businessmen. Loneliness and depression are the watch words here, but don't let that deter you, it is at bottom a novel of human survival. This is another beautifully designed and superbly produced hardcover volume from Drawn & Quarterly; featuring high quality duotone printing throughout, it's truly a wonder how they do it for such a reasonable price. You gotta hand it to these Canadians!
retail price - $19.95 copacetic price - $16.95
Mother, Come Home
by Paul Hornschemeier
Collecting Forlorn Funnies #2 - 4, Mother, Come Home is a great contemporary graphic novella about sadness and loss. Will Eisner has this to say: "Brilliant! Graphic literature at its best. This book leaves the comics ghetto far behind." Need more convincing? Here's this from Craig Thompson: "While formalistically inventive, this book is heart-wrenching. No panel is wasted. No gesture is inconsequential. Every color, prop, and rhythmic panel enrich its lucid landscape." So there! We would say that Hornschemeier has incorporated some of the more pertinent formal lessons of Chris Ware into a tale that covers somewhat similar territory as that of Jimmy Corrigan, but while Ware employs his technical mastery as an emotional distancing device, Hornschemeier actually confronts some of the emotions that accompany personal loss, which makes it closer to Craig Thompson's Blankets, in that regard. It is, ultimately, a unique work and one of the highlights of 2004.
retail price - $14.95 copacetic price - $12.70
Chris Ware
by Daniel Raeburn
For the Chris Ware fan suffering from withdrawal, this is the book. This 112 page monograph from Yale University Press provides an in-depth exploration of Ware's work by The Imp editor, Daniel Raeburn as well as a very generous sampling of Ware's work, much of rarely if ever seen before and sumptuously reproduced here. In case you were wondering, the answer is no, this essay is not the same essay that Raeburn wrote on Ware in The Imp #2, but an all new piece entitled, "Building a Language."
retail price - $19.95 copacetic price - $17.95
Rosetta 2: A Comics Anthology
edited by Ng Suat Tong
For readers already familiar with McSweeney's 13 who are looking to cast a wider net, this might be the ticket; and to lure you in, we're offering a low, take-a-chance price on this great 264 page anthology (with 48 pages in full color). There are some exceptional new works premiering here, including a beautifully rendered mythological fable by Craig Thompson; a very interesting (think early Spiegelman) Matt Madden that is quite probably his most challenging work to date; a Jason Lutes piece that is his first non-Berlin work in quite awhile (and it's quite good); R. Sikoryak's take on the funny pages (which is very, very funny); two short pieces by Paul Pope; a nifty Jason; and a truly amazing breakthrough piece from Michael Kupperman. In addition to this, there's a great deal of work from Europe, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. All between covers by Peter Kuper and Megan Kelso. Check it out!
retail price - $19.95 copacetic price - $12.95 ¡X-mas Special!
Drawn & Quarterly 5
This year’s oversize (11" x 13") annual of North American (with the accent on Canadian), European and Asian comics is one of the year's best. Beautifully produced, as always, this issue features covers and end papers and a graphic novella by DuPuy and Berberian, a short work by long ignored Japanese master, Yoshihiro Tatsumi, “Kept,” a Michel Rabagliati short featuring Paul, and more. The highlight for us is ”The Crypt of Bronte” by that master of all styles, R. Sikoryak. Of special interest for jaded know-it-alls is the massive 75 page retrospective on the unknown (at least to us) Canadian artist, Albert Chartier. This retrospective presents a truly rare opportunity to simultaneously discover and then plunge right into a whole new bit of artistic terrain. Reader’s of Seth’s It’s a Good Life If You Don’t Weaken will relate.
retail price - $29.95 copacetic price - $25.47
The Adrian Tomine Scrapbook: Uncollected Work: 1990 - 2004
The title pretty much say it all. This is an atttractive oversize softcover edition with rounded corners that charts Tomine's maturation as an artist and gives us a chance to to peek at his sketchbooks and check out his non-comics illustration work. There is, of course, plenty of comics work, too. Sure to be a hit with any serious Tomine fan.
retail price - $24.95 copacetic price - $19.95
Romance Without Tears
compiled and with an introduction by John Benson
We really enjoy classic romance comics and think that there must be others out there who feel the same (musn't there?). This book presents -- for the first time since their original appearences over fifty years ago -- a selection of some great but sadly overlooked comics from the post-WWII era. The art is, for the most part, executed by one of the all time greats of comics, Matt Baker. It is the comics that are presented here in Romance Without Tears, that are the true Romance Comics. These are the comics that now need to be remembered and reevaluated so that they may reenergize the comics of today!
160 pages; full color (except for one story); squarebound; 8 1/2" x 11"
retail price - $22.95 copacetic price - $18.35
Captain America and The Falcon: MADBOMB
by Jack Kirby
Originally produced to coincide with America's Bicentennial, "Madbomb" first appeared in Captain America #193 - 200 (#200 was, amazingly, actually released shortly before July 4, 1976). This run marked Kirby's return to Marvel after his five year stint at DC producing the much lauded "Fourth World" series (New Gods, Forever People, etc.). "Madbomb" is the story of a power hungry cabal who adopt the mantle of "patriots" and take to wearing the powdered wigs of the founding fathers while hatching a scheme to grab control of the USA and rule it as "the new aristocracy" who are above the law. In order to effect their scheme they employ powerful technology that distorts people's sense of self, driving them mad. Sound familiar? This is one of Kirby's great works, arguably his mature masterpiece. Read from the vantage point of today, it seems like a prophecy as well. That Marvel finally got around to recognizing the value of this work, and that they managed to release it to coincide with our nation's birthday this time around as well -- and in an important election year to boot -- is nothing short of a minor miracle. Hallelujah!
retail price - $16.99 copacetic price - $14.44And while we're on the subject of "The King," here's two more:
Marvel Visionaries: Jack Kirby
While we admit to some trepidation in endorsing a Marvel book cashing in on Kirby, given Jack's treatment by the company, we have to say that this volume will be a definite hit for a lot of "true believers" out there. This book is cover to cover Kirby; all 340 full color pages of it. While is spans almost the entire length of Kirby's career, beginning with Red Raven #1 from 1941 and running through What-If #11 from 1978, the bulk of the material is from Kirby's classic 1960s work, including what might possibly be the greatest four issue run in the history of superhero comics, Fantastic Four #48 - #51, wherein he introduced Both Galactus and the Silver Surfer. Running a close second, are Thor #134 - 136, a three issue run also included here which introduced another of Kirby's greatest concept characters, The High Evolutionary. And it's a hardcover with a nifty Chip Kidd inspired dust jacket, to boot.
retail price - $29.99 copacetic price - $25.47
The Jack Kirby Reader: V.2
And for the true Kirby aficionado, here is the second stunning volume of classic atom-age Kirby work. Most of the work orignally appeared in the late-forties, but there are a few gems from the fifties as well. Greg Theakston has done it again with this one: the reproduction is simply stellar. You can really appreciate the art here in super-solid black & white. The work collected here is among Kirby's best, including classics from Young Romance, My Date, Justice Traps the Guilty, and Strange World of Your Dreams. Truly amazing.
retail price - $25.00 copacetic price - $22.50
The Complete Cartoons of The New Yorker
Well, this is a book that is pretty much available everywhere, but we thought we'd let you know we have it as well, in case you'd like to get it from us. This is one very hefty tome, but the best thing about it is the two CD-ROMs included with it. Therein you will find all the cartoons published in The New Yorker from its inception up to the time the book went to press earlier this year. Yes, that's right: all 68,647 for of them. To give you some idea of how many cartoons this is: if you read ten cartoons a day, everyday, 365 days a year, it would take you almost twenty years to read them all! But, of, course, most people won't have the urge (let alone the free time) to read each and every cartoon, but would rather pick their way through them, looking for cartoons that will catch their fancy. Fortunately, this database of cartoons (for that's exactly what it is) is fully searchable, so you can look for dog cartoons, cat cartoons, drunk cartoons, and even drunk dogs cartoons, and see what comes up! This is, obviously, a great gift for somebody.
retail price - $60.00 copacetic price - $50.00
The Best of Gahan Wilson
One of The New Yorker's (and Playboy's and Fantasy & Science Fiction's and... well you get the idea) greatest cartoonists, Gahan Wilson has a sensibility like none other (except maybe his precursor at The New Yorker, Charles Addams). This 144 page volume is nicely put together by Underwood Books, one of the great long-suffering publishers devoted to fine fantasy art. It is printed in B & W and color as the situation calls for, and is peppered throughout with running commentary by Mr. Wilson himself. And it's reasonably priced, too!
retail price - $15.00 copacetic price - $13.50
SUITABLE FOR ALL AGES:
Owly
by Andy Runton
Owly finally finds a permanent home in the first Owly trade paperback from Top Shelf. This 160 page volume offers newcomers a chance to find out what buyers of the self-published (and Top Shelf distributed) Owly minis have been discovering over the last year: Owly is one of the cutest and most endearing characters existing in that ephemeral reality constructed in lines on paper. The two Owly adventures herein collected -- The Way Home and The Bittersweet Summer -- are related entirely in pictures; but while the characters that populate the similarly pantomimic work of Jason and Kriek (see below) tend to delve a bit into the shadows of the human psyche, Runton's Owly -- ironically, considering the animal that is his name sake -- is of an indefatigably bright disposition and never fails to direct his feet to the sunny side of the street. This is one strip that is guaranteed to chase those blues away. It's only a matter of time until the Owly plush dolls start rolling off the production lines. Hmm, wonder where we'll put ours...
retail price - $10.00 copacetic price - $8.50
Bone: The Complete Cartoon Epic In One Volume
by Jeff Smith
They say all things come to those who wait, and here's proof: The complete Bone -- all 55 issues, which were heretofore collected in 9 volumes, retailing for a total of well over $100.00 -- in one 1344-page volume for one amazingly low price. This'll keep someone occupied for quite awhile.
retail price - $39.95 copacetic price - $33.95
Men of Tomorrow:
Geeks, Gangsters and the Birth of the Comic Book
by Gerard Jones
Years in the making, this engrossing history of the dawn of the comic book era is here. It's a 384 page hardcover with a swell Chip Kidd designed dustjacket. Here's what some notables are saying: "The fascinating and heartbreaking true story of the goniffs, shmendricks, and shlemiels who gave birth to the superhero comics -- written with all the verve and velocity of a golden age comic book." -- Art Spiegelman "This book has brought me immense pleasure. Jones offers amazing new insights into how girlie pulp publishers and mob-related printers got to the top of the comics business. Men of Tomorrow is an extraordinary read." -- Bud Plant 'Nuff said.
retail price - $26.00 copacetic price - $22.20
The Future Dictionary of America
"A brilliant, acerbic and provocative imagining of the American language sometime in the future, when all or most of our country's problems are solved and the present administration is a distant memory. An unprecedented Book-CD package to benefit progressive causes featuring over 200 of America's best writers, artists & musicians. Every cent of the proceeds will go directly to groups working for the public good." Put together by the folks at McSweeney's -- with a little bit of help from their friends over at Barsuk Records -- this item is about as good as it gets: a wholesome treat for the eyes and ears that provides quality sustenance for the mind while the money spent upon its purchase goes towards benefitting a more progressive world. The book features hundreds of witty and insightful neologisms alongside of (hopefully) ironic definitions for present terms by an amazing agglomeration of writers including Diane Ackerman, Paul Auster, Aimee Bender, T.C. Boyle, Michael Chabon, Michael Cunningham, David Eggers, Rick Moody, ZZ Packer, Katha Pollitt, Richard Powers, Simon Schama, Art Spiegelman, and Kurt Vonnegut, whose sobering essay, "Cold Turkey," concludes the collection. This compendium is accompanied by hundreds of cartoon illustrations and a 12-page full color center section featuring a five-page Chris Ware piece along with work by Michael Kupperman and others. The 22-track CD that handily and snugly rests inside the back cover presents musical rarities and other work by the likes of Tom Waits, R.E.M, Sleator-Kinney, They Might Be Giants and Nada Surf, and closes with a haunting Elliot Smith tune. We encourage you to participate in this publishing event. In keeping with the spirit of the project, we are offering this item at an especially copacetic price.
retail price - $28.00 copacetic price - $20.00
The Fortress of Solitude
by Jonathan Lethem
now in paperback! There has to be someone you know who needs to read this book of comic books and the early days of hip-hop; of the meeting of minds that are both across the street and a world apart; of the cross fertilization of complementary (if nevertheless antagonistic) sub-cultures; of the baby steps that lead to cultural evolution; of how the margins of the 1970s erupted into the mainstream a generation later; of Dylan Ebdus and Mingus Rude.
retail price - $14.95 copacetic price - $12.70Men & Cartoons
by Jonathan Lethem
While we're on the subject of Lethem, here's his latest book: a collection of short stories dealing with... well, the title sort of gives it away. Want to know more? Check out the everyman review by a Lethem fan on Pop Matters on the one hand, and then the NY Times review by Jay McInerney, on the other. We also stock all his earlier work. hardcover
retail price - $19.95 copacetic price - $17.95McSweeney's Enchanted Chamber of Astonishing Stories
edited by Michael Chabon
A brand new follow up volume to 2002's super-fab McSweeney's Mammoth Treasury of Thrilling Tales. Just in!
retail price - $13.95 copacetic price - $11.85Give Our Regards to the Atomsmashers
edited by Sean Howe
This is nicely designed and put together and definitely unique collection of essays on comics and our relationships with them. This volume features work by writers not widely associated with comics, a fact that serves the dual function of bringing fresh perspectives to the relatively insular world of comics fans and collectors while simultaneously attracting more mainstream non-comics readers to this world. This is a healthy development for the form. Here's what you'll find: Jonathan Lethem on Jack "King" Kirby; Luc Sante on Hergé and Tintin; Geoff Dyer on Spider-Man and ben-day dots; Aimee Bender on Yummy Fur and Story Telling; Gary Giddens on Classics Illustrated; Geoffrey O'Brien on Nick Fury; Chris Offutt on NoMan(!); Greil Marcus on Uncle Sam; Steve Erickson on American Flagg!; Tom Piazza on Bizarro and Mxyzptlk; Myla Goldberg on Chris Ware and Renée French; Lydia Millet on Little Nemo in Slumberland; John Wray on Jim Woodring; Christopher Sorrentino on the DC-Marvel rivalry; Glen David Gold on Warlock and the nature of collecting; Brad Meltzer on The New Teen Titans and young love; and Andrew Hultkrans on Steve Ditko's hands. Whew!
retail price - $24.95 copacetic price - $22.45
Her Smoke Rose Up Forever
by James Tiptree, Jr.
There has to be someone else out there besides us who will be excited to learn of this volume's recent (12/1/04) arrival. In our opinion, the least appreciated and most misunderstood science fiction writer of modern times, James Tiptree, Jr. (the nom de plume of Alice Sheldon) is a writer of breathtaking originality who is still ahead of her time, nearly twenty years after her death. That all of her work -- with the exception of a single "loose ends" collection that was published three years ago -- has been out of print for years is, in our opinion, a negligence that borders on the criminal. Thankfully, this situation has now come to an end with the release of this 508 page volume, a paperback re-issue of the posthumous Arkham House collection which has to stand as the best single-volume edition of her work ever released, putting together eighteen of her most penetrating and insightful stories, all of which were originally published between 1969 and 1981.
retail price - $15.95 copacetic price - $13.55Lady Into Fox
by David Garnett
The latest from McSweeney's sub-imprint, The Collins Library, is, in keeping with this series' mission, a reissue of a long (but unfairly) forgotten classic of early twentieth century literature. Lady Into Fox is "a lost classic of the Bloomsbury circle" which was originally published in 1922 and received some amazing raves at that time. To wit: "Magnificent... write twenty more books, at once, I beseech." -- Virginia Woolf; "It is the most successful thing of the kind I have ever seen... flawless in style and exposition, altogether an accomplished piece of work." -- Joseph Conrad; and finally, "The most amazingly good story I have read in a long time." -- H.G. Wells. Well, we've read it and it's pretty great. A lot like a Kafka's Metamorphosis (published six years earlier in 1916) in its matter-of-fact tone and straightforward plunge into absurdity; but in this case, the metamorphosis is undergone by the narrator's spouse rather the the narrator, and is accompanied by the differences in perspective and outcome that such a shift implies. Comparative Lit profs, please take note!
hardcover
retail price - $18.00 copacetic price - $13.50And, if you'd like to give a gift that simultaneously supports the Pittsburgh literary scene:
Last Mountain Dancer
Hard-Earned Lessons in Love, Loss and Honky-Tonk Outlaw Life
by Chuck Kinder
Give the latest by local legend and University of Pittsburgh professor (who is currently the directror of their writing program). The publishers state that this 457 page hardcover, "confronts the regrets and heartaches of Kinder's past, present, and future in funny and bawdy family stories, lies, legends and history that reside in West Virginia's haunted hills and the hollows of his memory." Jayne Anne Phillips says, "Holy Moly!" Added Bonus Fact: The cover illustration of this book is by local stringed instrument master and Deliberate Stranger, Tom Moran.
retail price - $24.95 copacetic price - $21.25
These add support to the next generation and/or can surprise an aspiring writer:
Pittsburgh Love Stories fromThe New Yinzer
The most ambitious publishing effort yet from Pittsburgh's own New Yinzers, Pittsburgh Love Stories is pretty much what the title leads you to believe: A collection of stories -- fiction and non-fiction, poetry and prose -- about love in, of and around the 'burgh. Check it out and get inspired to have your own work included in the next one, whatever it may be.
softcover; 220 pages
retail price - $10.00 copacetic price - $9.50and just in:
Dirt: More Stories from the New Yinzer
Their latest softcover collection, this 188 page sophomore effort features Michael Byers, Karl Elder, Sherrie Flick and eleven other writers from Pittsburgh's past and present. The editors have this to say: "Dirt is a place to explore what's hiding under the couch, shut tight in the upstairs cupboard and locked away in the dark parts of a person, place, or thing, It's fourteen dirty little secrets straight from us to you."
retail price - $11.95 copacetic price - $11.35
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Well, in the music department, we can't help but feature once again our favorite series of all time: the Proper Box! This series offers the best music in the best package at the best price. We just can't stop recommending it! All the titles in this series are uniformly excellent, but we will nevertheless highlight three of our favorites. Let's start with the big one for 2004:
Proper Box 71: "Fats" Waller - Handful of Keys
YES!!! At last it has come to pass: Fats Waller gets the Proper treatment. One of the all time great personalities in the history of jazz, Fats would be a legend just for his mastery of the keyboard with which he launched his career, but he has so much more to offer. He crafted a true persona which he then donned for each and every performance. And what performances! Fats was the very embodiment of entertainment. And finally, there's the songs themselves. Fats Waller is one of the greatest song writers of all times. He brought a jazz sensibility to show tunes and a show tune sensibility to jazz. Some, like Ain't Misbehavin', have become standards, interpreted over and over again by cats of all colors, able to be made fresh each time. Others, like My Very Good Friend the Milkman, belong to Fats alone. The people of Proper Records really had their work cut out for them with this one: how do you bring the whole of Fats when you have a mere four CDs? It's painful to leave out even one timeless classic! Handful of Keys proves once again why Proper Records is the reigning champion of classic jazz packages: They jammed this box full with 95 tracks and Fats is here in all his glory, from his early days as keyboard prodigy to his final blazing days of songmanship. This is a set that will bring a lifetime of enjoyment. If Fats isn't part of your life, then, man, you ain't livin'! Here's the complete track listing and discography.
copacetic price - $22.50
The Duke Ellington Proper Box -- The best of the best, the créme de la créme, the Duke Ellington Proper Box is 98 tracks on four CDs filling five hours of the digital time/space continuum with the greatest jazz there ever was. It simply doesn’t get any better than this. Really. This is music that can't be outgrown. No on can be disappointed with this music. It can be listened to over and over again for a lifetime, and will renew the listener's spirits each time without fail. But while you’re at it, there may be another one of the over 75 extant Proper Boxes that is more appropriate for who you have in mind; so take your time and check out what's avaiilable.
copacetic price - $22.50
Proper Box 62 - Slim Gaillard: Laughing in Rhythm
This is it! The ideal antidote to these trying times. Slim’s wit, style, charm, and grace will make the world vout oroonee in no time! As with all Proper Boxes, this one includes 4 CDs packed to the limit (102 tracks total!) for over 5 hours of music, and a 44 page booklet containing a comprehensive history of Slim's career along with fab photos, old ads, record labels, and, best of all, complete track by track annotation -- where you’ll note the appearances of Slam Stewart, Ben Webster, Zutty Singleton, Dizzy Gillespie & Charlie Parker among many others -- along with a bountiful biographical career history by the all-knowing Joop Visser. All this for the copacetic price of only $22.50! How!?!?!Don't think Slim is the ticket? Check out the rest of the Proper Boxes, where you'll find the best music, in the best package, at the best price.
La Dolce Vita (DVD)
by Federico Fellini (1960)
w/ Marcello Mastroianni, Anouk Aimee, Anita Ekberg & Roma
Give someone what is indisputably one of the greatest films of all time, the film that captured what was supposed to be a fleeting moment in time and yet defined not only an era but a state of mind while forging a (self-fulfilling?) prophecy of today's culture of celebrity, Federico Fellini's La Dolce Vita is now available on DVD from (surprisingly, not Criterion, but) Koch Lorber. This Deluxe 2-Disc set features an excellent transfer of a flawless, beautiful new print of the film, and includes many bonus features such as a collection of "never-before-seen" Fellini shorts, interviews with Fellini, Mastroianni and Ekberg, and a "musical montage" of Cinecetta, Fellini's studio. Watching this film today, it's hard to believe it's over forty years old...
retail price - $34.95 copacetic price - $28.75
Coffee and Cigarettes (DVD)
by Jim Jarmusch
w/ Iggy Pop, Tom Waits, Roberto Begnini, Joie Lee, Cinqué Lee, Cate Blanchett, Meg White, Jack White, Alfred Moline, Steve Coogan, Renée French, GZA, RZA, Taylor Mead, Bill Rice, and Bill Murray!
Want to give someone the heppest film of the year? Look no further: this is it. Not that many people even know about this film, let alone have seen it. It played here in Pittsburgh for a week at the Oaks, and then was gone. But now it's back, on DVD. Fifteen years in the making. Filmed in glorious black and white.
retail price - $29.98 copacetic price - $25.47
Devo: The Truth About De-Evolution (DVD)
Nineteen classic Devo videos; from the Seventies through to the Nineties, they're all here (except one, that was held back for legal reasons). Tons of bonus material. Decent price. Change someone's life: open their eyes with the power of DEVO!
copacetic price - $13.77Feeling exceptionally generous? Then we recommend:
•>John Cassavetes: Five Films
8-DVD box featuring Shadows, Faces, A Woman Under the Influence; The Killing of a Chinese Bookie; Opening Night; A Constant Forge - The Life and Art of John Cassavetes; and many, many bonus extras including another, and totally different -- and 27 minutes longer -- version of Chinese Bookie, two hours of new video interviews, rare footage from the Cassavetes-Lane Drama Workshop from which Shadows emerged and much more! Criterion Collection
retail price - $124.95 copacetic price - $99.50The FIlm Noir Classics Collection
Five classic masterpieces of film noir on five DVDs. These DVDs sell seperately for $19.99 each, so this is a real value. Here's what you get:
Out of the Past (for our money the definitve film noir -- this one has it all!)
Gun Crazy (the best of all the "a guy & a girl & a gun" films)
The Asphalt Jungle (an archetype of the unravelling caper film; dir. by John Huston)
Murder, My Sweet (based on a Raymond Chandler novel)
The Set-up (the title says it all)
plus a slipcase to hold them all
retail price - $49.98 copacetic price - $44.44
The Marx Brothers Collection - DVD Box Set
Know someone overwhelmed with anxiety? Perhaps they'd enjoy A Day at the Races, followed by A Night at the Opera, or, if they prefer, A Night in Casablanca; all in the company of Groucho, Chico and Harpo. And once they've recovered, they can check in with them for some Room Service, and then spend some time with them At the Circus; and before deciding to follow them when they Go West, you can visit The Big Store. That's right: seven Marx brothers classics on five discs, all for one (fairly reasonable) price (it works out to less than $8 per film -- the price of a single movie ticket at today's prices).
retail price - $59.99 copacetic price - $53.55All ages can go for these:
Spider-Man: The '67 Collection (DVD)
Talk about a long wait! 34 years after the series completed it's 4 year run, it's finally available to own. This 6-Disc box set contains all 52 episodes and runs 1,144 minutes.
"Spider-Man, Spider-Man, does whatever a spider can..." ad infinitum. Our favorite super-hero cartoon series of all time is here.
retail price - $59.95 copacetic price - $53.95____________________________________________________________
Can't make up your mind? Afraid they might already have it? Not to worry, we offer a full complement of gift certificates: Currently available in $10, $20, $25, $50 & $100 denominations.
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And last -- but least only terms of how much it costs:
Here's Cheap but good, or More for Less
This is a whole (well, a half page, really: more to come -- promise) new page of great gift items... for less! We have assembled a selection of items that we believe will serve as good choices for more casual gifts. All priced below $10. Most are in the $5.00 range, and many are even less. There's some terrific stuff here. Really. Check it out.
And, yes, we do third-party shipments (i.e. we will ship direct to a recipient at a different address from the purchaser), and we will gift wrap for a nominal charge.
Don't forget: we'll be updating this page throughout the holiday season, as new items arrive.
And of course there's all the rest of the Copacetic Comics Company offerings to choose from:If you're looking for a one-of-a-kind classic collectible comic book, may we suggest perusing:
Many bargain priced books may be found at:
To learn more about some Copacetic favorites check out:
Tried and true gift ideas may be found at:
And here's the latest:
prices and availability current as of 8 December 2004