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Paul Pope

Paul Pope may very well be the most expressive master of the ink brush currently producing work in comics. Yes, his plotting is often incoherent, yes, he constantly obsesses over the same themes and constantly focuses on rendering the same types (over and over and over again), yes, he indulges all his whims, yes, his work ethic leaves much to be desired, but none of this changes the fact that he is in possession of a powerful talent that he is in the process of working to harness. His flair and dash with the ink brush is simply startling, yet he manages to contain all this protean energy in compositions that are solid and constantly so. His eye is simply unerring: this is a true and rare gift. His concepts, while often over-reaching and muddled as a result, nevertheless provide ample evidence that a well-learned intelligence is behind them. Discipline is what is lacked, but this can be expected to improve with age. It is, however, possible that Pope's narcissistic self-involvement may prove fatal to his talent. Only time will tell, of course, but what the future holds has no bearing on the work he has already produced that is available to us now in the present. The energy level embodied in Pope's work of the late 1990s is palpable and without peer. On a formal level, Pope is perhaps the sole American practitioner of comics who has managed to fully integrate an understanding of Japanese manga with the art of twentieth century Europe -- fine arts, commercial arts and comics -- and then incorporate these into the American tradition; forging a truly unique body of work in the process. Pope's comics represent a distilled essence of the world of comics that is well worth savoring. In short, his flaws are great but his talents are greater; and what’s more, he believes in comics. His work deserves our attention. Let's hope that it continues to do so.


Title Creator Publisher Series Price
Diamond Comics #6 Lane Milburn, Jonny Negron, Paul Pope, Zack Soto and more ... Floating World Comics Diamond Comics $3.75
($4.00 list)
OUT OF STOCK!
Diamond6
Read more and comment... 		<<• edited by Jason Leivian •>>  This full color newspaper jammed with comics is from the fine folks at Floating World Comics in Portland, OR.  This time around we start off with a wraparound cover by none other than Mr. Paul Pope, who also contributes a page along with, among others, Farel Dalrymple, Sam Hiti, Jonny Negron, Lane Milburn, Dash Shaw, Zack Soto and Pittsburgh's own Jim Rugg!  Sadly, this issue is, according to the idicia, the last. Don't let that stop you from enjoying it; just take your time... TEMPORARIY OUT OF STOCK.
100% Paul Pope Vertigo $33.33
($39.99 list)
100-pope
Read more and comment... 		100% by Paul Pope Pope's most accomplished work is now back in print in this (unfortunately over-priced) hardcover edition.  It's a great piece, we just wish the powers that be at DC didn't yield to the greedy need to rob Paul Pope's fans (and we also can't help but wonder what degree of complicity Pope himself shares in this).  Why is this book – which, we feel compelled to note, is the third incarnation of this work (it first appeared as a four issue series, then as a softcover), which means they're all getting paid yet again for the same piece – priced a full 100% more than Jeff Lemire's The Nobody (listed below), which is identical in format  – hardcover, black and white – also published by Vertigo, distributed through the same networks, and is an original work appearing for the first time.  We're offering a special discount on it, which takes a bit of the sting out, but only a bit.
Rosetta 2: A Comics Anthology Jason Lutes, R. Sikoryak, Michael Kupperman, Paul Pope and more ... $14.95
($19.95 list)
Rosetta02
Read more and comment... 		For readers of McSweeney's 13 looking to cast a wider net, this great 264-page anthology (with 48 pages in full color) might be the ticket.  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!
100% Paul Pope Vertigo $22.49
($24.99 list)
Pope100
Read more and comment... 		100% is Paul Pope's most cohesive sustained work to date.  It's a science fiction tale of boho NYC set in 2038.  Sexy girls, gritty guys and groovy gimmicks intermesh in a thoroughly enjoyable tale remarkably rendered, as always, by the supremely talented Mr. Pope.
Pulphope: The Art of Paul Pope Paul Pope AdHouse Books $25.00
($29.95 list)
OUT OF STOCK!
Pulphope
Read more and comment... 		It's here:  the Paul Pope coffee table book.  Who would've thunk it?  There's everything from comics to posters to CD covers to prints to sketchbooks and more.  The book is divided into sections grouping the work in a variety of categories including the just stated formal divisions as well as thematic units such as Ukiyo-e and erotica.  Connecting it all together is an ongoing exegesis of the works by Pope himself.  It turns out that he has quite a bit to say as the text roves far and wide:  personal reminiscences, ruminations on art and literature, technical explications, insights into the processes of artistic creation, manifestos and more amply fill the spaces between the artwork on display.