The Copacetic Comics Company Dash Shaw

Dash Shaw

Adventurous young cartoonist creating engaging new experimiental work

Title	Creator	Publisher	Series	Price
Kramers Ergot #8	Dash Shaw, Takeshi Murata, Robert Beatty, Sammy Harkham and more ...	PictureBox	Kramers Ergot	$29.75 ($32.95 list)
Read more and comment...	<<•>> edited by Sammy Harkham <<•>> Starting out way back in 2000 as a plain ol' self-published, black and white comic book, Sammy Harkham's Kramers Ergot has been through some serious changes over the years. In 2003, when Sammy went for broke (literally) and switched to a massive full-color book format with the fourth issue, Kramers was transformed from a simple comic book to a synecdoche/catch phrase for the exploding art comics scene. The subsequent two issues followed suit and were published by art house publisher, Gingko Press. Then, with the seventh issue the stakes were raised again with the gigantic, full-blown, original-old-school Sunday page size – a whoppin'' 16" x 21" – full color, hardcover published by Buenaventura Press that knocked people's socks off the world over; not least folks here in Pittsburgh, where we hosted the Kramers Tour at The BrilloBox to much acclaim. Now, with the eighth issue, Kramers is being published by our pals at PictureBox and has entered yet another phase. This time out – perhaps in keeping with its maturation – Kramers takes the form of an unassuming standard size hardcover sporting a tan cloth cover of deceptively straightforward design by Robert Beatty; one which nonetheless provides both visual and tactile pleasure to the reader and hints at what is to come, which is another all-star anthology featuring some of today's top cartoonists working in an environment where they feel comfortable taking risks. An essay by Ian Svenonius, "Notes on Camp, Part 2" sets the tone with a hyperbolic sequel to Susan Sontag's famous essay, in which Svevonius traces a lineage for pop, camp and comics that centers on Warhol and goes back through to the Roman Empire. Then we are treated to a brand new Jimbo adventure by Gary Panter followed by new stories by C.F., Kevin Huizenga (who redraws the story "The Half Men" from the classic ACG series of the 1950s & '60s, Mysteries of Unexplained Worlds), Gabrielle Bell, Johnny Ryan, Time Hensley, Leon Sadler, Chris Cilla, Anya Davidson, Ben Jones and Sammy Harkham, himself. The clear standout of Kramers Ergot 8 is the collaboration between Dash Shaw and Frank Santoro, "Childhood Predators." This sixteen page story is a masterpiece of layout which was consciously composed as a series of eight two-page spreads by someone who really knows what they're doing. Santoro displays his mastery of the medium by employing a host of techniques and methods to deliver a highly textured, subtly nuanced, and deeply felt look at an emotionally complex and politically fraught scenario that will amply reward repeated readings. In addition to the comics, there are a pair of art portfolios featuring Robert Beatty's "retro-future" airbrush art, as well as a series of freakishly photorealistic digital artworks by Takeshi Murata, all of which are reproduced on bright glossy stock, in contrast to the flat off-white stock of the comics work. The 40-page dose of Oh, Wicked Wanda! comics that closes out this issue is also printed on glossy stock to mimic its original appearance in the pages of Penthouse Magazine back in the 1970s. Oh, Wicked Wanda was created by the British artist and writer duo of Ron Embleton and Frederic Mullalley as Penthouse's answer to Kurtzman and Elder's Little Annie Fannie, which ran in Playboy Magazine. As with everything Penthouse, it is the same as Playboy, only more so; and in this case, the humor is decidedly British (as was Penthouse) with its international settings and casual conflation of kinky sex with Nazis. We'd be curious to learn why the largest hunk of this issue of Kramers was devoted to these comics, so we hope Harkham will go on record as to his rationale and motivation here. Regardless of what they may be, Kramers remains in the vanguard of contemporary comics and is indispensable reading for anyone who likes their comics challenging.
MOME #22	Kurt Wolfgang, Tom Kaczynski, Joe Kimball, Eleanor Davis and more ...	Fantagraphics	MOME	$17.77 ($19.99 list)
Read more and comment...	edited by Eric Reynolds Say it isn't true! Sadly, this is the end of the road for the most innovative and challenging regularly published English language comics anthology of the twenty-first century. But they're going out with a bang! MOME 22 is a wallopin' 240-page double issue that is a veritable gathering of MOME alumni (along with some notable last-minute newcomers) featuring 30 artists, including Kurt Wolfgang, Tom Kaczynski, Joe Kimball, Eleanor Davis, Anders Nilsen, Tim Hensley, Paul Hornschemeier, Gabrielle Bell, Zak Sally, Jesse Moynihan, Malachi Ward, James Romberger, Nick Drnaso, Joseph Lambert, Nick Thorburn, Victor Kerlow, Jim Rugg, Chuck Forsman, Sergio Ponchione, Steven Weissman, Sara Edward-Corbett, Laura Park, Josh Simmons, Derek Van Gieson (with collaborator Michael Jada), Tim Lane, Nate Neal, Lilli Carré, T. Edward Bak, Dash Shaw, Ted Stearn and Noah Van Sciver. Whew! Get a heaping helping of PDF preview, here.
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!
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.
MOME #15	Dash Shaw, Nicolas Mahler, Josh Simmons, T. Edward Bak and more ...	Fantagraphics	MOME	$13.75 ($14.99 list)
Read more and comment...	<<• edited by Eric Reynolds •>> We are sad to announce that this is the penultimate issue of MOME. Highlights this time around must start off with a new Tom Kaczynski tale, "The Cozy Apocalypse." Also notable are a full-color two-pager by Lilli Carré, a nifty-in-a-very-dark-way three-pager by Jon Adams, the highly Hankiewicz-esque cover story by Sara Edward-Corbett, along with new work by Steve Weissman, Kurt Wolfgang, Josh Simmons (2!), T. Edward Bak, Nicolas Mahler, Dash Shaw, Sergio Ponchione, Nate Neal, Nick Thorburn and Michael Jada & Derek Van Gieson. Savor these tales.
MOME #20	Eric Reynolds, Josh Simmons, Dash Shaw, Jeffrey Tinder and more ...	Fantagraphics	MOME	$12.75 ($14.95 list)
Read more and comment...	Highlights this time around include Dash Shaw's comics adaptation of an episode of "Blind Date," which provides an opportunity for some reflection on the respective formal qualities of the mediums of television and comics; the second installment of Josh Simmons's way-crazy "The White Rhinoceros":"Time and Space" by Jeffrey Tinder; "Green House" by Aidan Koch; and "Magpie Inevitability" by Nate Neal. Also on hand are works by Sara Edward-Corbett, T. Edward Bak, Conor O'Keefe, Michael Jada & Derek Can Gieson, Steven Weissman, Sergio Ponchione, Nicholas Mahler, Ted Stearn and Adam Grano. Happy twentieth issue, MOME!
Strange Tales II #1	Jeff LeMirem Jhonen, Kate Beaton, Gene Yang, Dash Shaw and more ...	Marvel	Strange Tales II	$4.44 ($4.99 list) OUT OF STOCK!
Read more and comment...	What can you say about a Marvel comic that features an amazing Frank Santoro Silver Surfer story and another Surfer tale by Kevin Huizenga? and that also features a Dash Shaw take on Spider-Man, Jillian Tamaki doing The Dazzler, Kate Beaton on, of all characters, Kraven the Hunter? and that includes work by Rafael Grampá, Shannon Wheeler, Gene Yang, Jeff LeMire, Nick Gurewitch, and includes a horrifyingly acute (not to mention hilarious) deconstruction of Wolverine by Jhonen Vasquez? Well, all we can think of is, "buy it!" If you need further convincing, then we recommend checking out this Marvel Comics hosted interview with Frank Santoro. It's well worth reading.
Bodyworld	Dash Shaw	Pantheon		$25.00 ($27.95 list)
Read more and comment...	Speaking of long awaited follow-up works, here we have polymath wunderkind, Dash Shaw's groundbreaking new graphic Novel, Bodyworld! A non-stop comics producer, Shaw had published a number of small press works over a roughly five year period before making a big splash with his 700 page graphic novel, Bottomless Belly Button, which went on to grab a lot of mainstream attention and had readers wondering where he would go next. Well, where he went was to the web, where he produced the full color Bodyworld at a furious pace. The hardcopy – and hardcover – edition is a revised-for-print presentation of his webcomics epic, Bodyworld is printed in a vertical format so as to translate the experience of reading and scrolling on the web. Read the original online here, and then check out the book and compare, and while you're at it you will experience living on the cusp of the digital age.
The Comics Journal #300	Kevin Huizenga, Art Spiegelman, Howrad Chaykin, Ho Che Anderson and more ...	Fantagraphics	The Comics Journal	$12.75 ($14.99 list)
Read more and comment...	This is, reportedly, the last issue of the Journal in it's current format. After this it will become a hybrid publication: updated daily online with the news, reviews, and opinion pieces that have been Journal mainstays for many a decade now, and then, a semi-annually published deluxe book-like edition that sounds like it's taking its cue – at least somewhat – from Comic Art Magazine. That said, this format is going out with a real BANG! Its 286 pages are packed with some of the greatest comics conversations you are likely to find under one cover anywhere! Check it out: The ball starts rolling with a whopping 32-page exchange between none other than Art Spiegelman and Kevin Huizenga – this one alone is worth the price of admission; this is then folowed in due course by conversations between Jean-Christophe Menu and Sammy Harkham; Frank Quitely and Dave Gibbons; David Mazzucchelli and Dash Shaw; Alison Bechdel and Danica Novgorodoff; Howard Chaykin and Ho Che Anderson; Denny O'Neil and Matt Fraction; Jaime Hernandez and Zak Sally (!); Ted Rall and Matt Bors; Jim Borgman and Keith Knight; and Stan Sakai and Chris Schweizer... whew! So what are you waiting for? You know you can't pass this one up!
MOME #17	Paul Hornschemeier, Dash Shaw, Tom Kaczynski, T. Edward Bak and more ...	Fantagraphics	MOME	$12.75 ($14.95 list)
Read more and comment...	edited by Gary Groth and Eric Reynolds There's no question that the highlight of this issue is the thirty page conclusion to Paul Hornschemeier's Life with Mr. Dangerous, which began its serialization in MOME all the way back in the first issue! Next up in the list is the first ever (to our knowledge, anyway) collaboration between the mighty Dash Shaw and Tom Kaczynski, the aptly titled, "Resolution." Also on hand are the second parts of both T. Edward Bak's "Wild Man" and Ted Stearn's new Fuzz and Pluck adventure, "The Moolah Tree," as well as the first two parts of Oliver Schrauwen's latest, "Congo Chromo." Laura Park, Sara Edward-Corbet, Rick Froberg, Kurt Wolfgang, Derek Van Gieson, Renée French, Josh Simmons and Michael Jada round out the issue. MOME continues to deliver on its promise.
The Unclothed Man in the 35th Century A.D.	Dash Shaw	Fantagraphics		$17.77 ($19.99 list)
Read more and comment...	The wunderkind of comics strikes again with this unique book that is as visually intriguing as it is intellectually challenging. It intermeshes comics – most of what is collected here originally appeared in the pages of MOME – with storyboards and production sketches for some animations that Shaw produced, in collaboration with Jane Samborski, for IFC. Starting with the animation-cell-like dustjacket that overlays an illustrated cloth hardcover, and proceeding through a variety of paper stocks, this full color collection by the author of the much heralded Bottomless Belly Button will take you on a ride that makes you think.
MOME #16	Sara Edward-Corbett, Ben Jones, Jon Vermilyea, T. Edward Bak and more ...	Fantagraphics	MOME	$12.75 ($14.95 list)
Read more and comment...	<<•>> edited by Eric Reynolds and Gary Groth <<•>> The obvious highlight of this issue for us here at The CCC is the new Cold Heat story by the team of Frank Santoro, Ben Jones & Jon Vermilyea. In addition, we have on hand: the furiously productive Dash Shaw, who translates an episode of "Blind Date" into comics form; the second chapter of T. Edward Bak's "Wild Man - The Strange Journey - and Fantastic Accounts - of the Naturalist Georg Wilhelm Steller, from Bavaria to Bolshaya Zemlya (and Beyond)"; new work from Renée French (who is also responsible for this issue's front and back covers); an all-new “Funny Bunny” strip by the rarely seen (in comics, anyway) Archer Prewitt; “The Moolah Tree”, a new Fuzz & Pluck graphic novel from Ted Stearn, begins it's serialization here; the MOME debut of Nicholas Mahler – "What Is Art?" (translated by Kim Thompson); and new stories from Lilli Carré, Conor O'Keefe, Laura Park, Nate Neal, and Sara Edward-Corbett, with incidental drawings by Kaela Graham. Get a PDF preview, HERE.
The Best American Comics 2009	Dash Shaw, Koren Shadmi, David Sandlin, Ron Regé and more ...	Houghton Mifflin	Best American	$20.00 ($22.95 list)
Read more and comment...	edited by Charles Burns Well, Crumb is a tough act to follow, but we'll give it a shot with this star-studded anthology filled with the best and the brightest from the last twelve months of comics, as judged by Charles Burns. In a book like this, we feel that the contributor list says it best: Doug Allen, Peter Bagge, Gabrielle Bell, Matt Broersma, Daniel Clowes, Al Columbia, Robert Dennis Crumb, Sammy Harkham, Tim Hensley, Gilbert Hernandez, Kevin Huizenga, Ben Katchor, Kaz, Aline Kominsky-Crumb, Michael Kupperman, Jason Lutes, Tony Millionaire, Jerry Moriarty, Anders Nilsen, Gary Panter, Laura Park, Mimi Pond, Ron Regé, David Sandlin, Koren Shadmi, Dash Shaw, Art Spiegelman, Ted Stearn, Jillian Tamaki and Mariko Tamaki, Adrian Tomine, Chris Ware, Dan Zettwoch. 'Nuff said. Well, actually, we can't help but add that while the material contained in this anthology is absolutely fabulous, the quality of its reproduction is, mysteriously, not up to the same standard as the three previous volumes in this series, which were excellent in that department. This shouldn't stop anyone from picking up this fine volume, but it is worrisome. Let's hope that this was a one time aberration and that next year we'll find the fine folks at Houghton Mifflin have figured out what went wrong and put things in the production department back on track.
MOME: Summer 2009 #15	Nathan Neal, Robert Goodin, Conor O'Keefe, Sara Edward-Corbett and more ...	Fantagraphics	MOME	$12.75 ($14.99 list)
Read more and comment...	This issue is a mix of oldtimers and newcomers: rugged MOME veterans, Andrice Arp, Paul Hornschemeier, Ray Fenwick, and Tim Hensley deliver a basket full of tales, each in their own inimitable manner, and, in Hensley's case, his last (at least for the time being) as his triptych concludes the long running (since MOME #5) saga of Wally Gropius; medium-term MOMErs, Dash Shaw, Sara Edward-Corbett, Conor O'Keefe, Robert Goodin and Nathan Neal each provide readers with memorable reads, with Neal turning in his strongest narrative yet; and Gilbert Shelton and Pic conclude their tale of rock 'n' roll at the world's edge. And then we have the newcomers: T. Edward Bak debuts here with the first chapter of his work in progress, Steller, as do Noah Van Scriver and noted Spanish cartoonist, Max, whose contribution is a nice, neat 16-page mini-comic that is precisely positioned (and presumably removable – although it's readable while in place) after the last page. All in all, another fine issue.
The Comics Journal #296	Lynda Barry, Amanda Vähämäki, David Hajdu, Dash Shaw and more ...	Fantagraphics	The Comics Journal	$10.77 ($11.99 list)
Read more and comment...	The Comics Journal #296 Yes, another year has past and it's time once again for the Best of the Year Issue. Best picks from comics luminaries Kim Deitch, Lynda Barry, Anders Nilsen, John Porcellino and many others complement the Best of 2008 master list compiled out of the all picks. This issues also features a great bunch of interviews: Lynda Barry, Dash Shaw, Frank Quitely, David Hajdu and Mike Luckovich. R.C. Harvey will fill you in on some great comics that made 2008 "a very good year." There's nice full clor preview of the first book of C. Tyler's forthcoming book, You'll Never Know. And then there's a whopping 35 page comics section of fine Finnish comics, including an eleven-pager by the one and only Amanda Vähämäki that should whet your appetite for her soon to be released collection, The Bun Field, as well as reminding you that, if you haven't already, you need to get your hands on a copy of Drawn and Quarterly Showcase 5.
MOME #13	Gilbert Shelton, Dash Shaw, Laura Park	Fantagraphics	MOME	$13.50 ($14.99 list)
Read more and comment...	edited by Gary Goth and Eric Reynolds The marquee highlight this time around is the first part (of three) to an all-new full-length saga -- "Last Gig in Shnagrlig," (no, that's not a typo) by the one and only Gilbert "Freak Brothers" Shelton. Other MOME first timers this time around are David "Duplex Planet" Greenberger, Josh "Happy" Simmons, Laura Park and Pic. They join Dash Shaw, Kurt Wolfgang, TIm Hensley (who contributes a whopping three stories this time out), Nate Neal, T. Ott, Sarah Edward-Corbett, Conor O'Keefe and Derek Van Gieson. Alienation and absurdity abound, thoughtfully rendered with craft and care.
Cold Heat Special #3	Frank Santoro, Dash Shaw	Self-published	Cold Heat	$8.00 ($8.00 list) OUT OF STOCK!
Read more and comment...	While Santoro burns the midnight oil finishing up the Cold Heat graphic novel, he knows Cold Heat fans are jonesing, and so has commisioned an ongoing series of specials. These specials are all limited editions with very low print runs that won't be reprinted in the graphic novel, so don't miss out! CHS #3 is a collaboration with up and coming comics experimentalist, Dash Shaw (see the latest issue of MOME) that is built around a combination of early Italian renaissance imagery and contemporary urban cityscape. This time out we have a saddle-stapled 16-page horizontally formatted comic book with a wraparound two-color cover that blurs the line between waking and sleeping, dream and reality, drugged and straight, and yesterday and today, as well as between classical fine art and contemporary popular art. Santoro & Shaw's cover image has been hand silk-screened by Pittsburgh's master poster maker, Budai! Limited to 100 copies.
MOME #10: Winter/Spring 2008	Paul Hornschemeier, John Hankiewicz, Dash Shaw, Jim Woodring and more ...	Fantagraphics	MOME	$13.50 ($14.95 list)
Read more and comment...	Yes, it's another fine issue in the ongoing, regularly published comics anthology that consistently publishes some of the most original, challenging and engaiging comics on the market. This time around the obvious highlight is the conclusion of Jim Woodring's The Lute String, which began last issue, a tale that is wonderful in conception as well as masterful in execution and amply demonstrates that Woodring's genius, but there's plenty more to get excited about: The uniquely weird story by up-and-comer Dash Shaw that starts off this issue is his most inventive work yet and will both charm and confuse you; Robert Goodin returns with a swell comics -- as well as comic -- adaptation of a classic Indian fable; also returning is Tom Kaczynski, who is this issue's interview subject as well. And, still with us are a core cadre of MOME regulars: Sophie Crumb, Paul Hornschemeier, Kurt Wolfgang, as well as Tim Hensley, Jeremy Eaton, Émile Bravo and Ray Fenwick (whom everyone is jealous of for his ingenious exploitation of old canvas covered used books). And, finally, we can't leave you without lettnig you know that the one and only John Hankiewicz makes his MOME debut in this issue. For those of you who are already familiar with his work, this notice of his inclusion will provide you with that much more impetus to purchase this issue; but it is those MOME readers among you who are unfamiliar with Hankiewicz: make sure to pay close attention to his contribution, "Success Comes to Westmont, IL" -- if you find yourself intrigued, but you're not sure why, you may want to take a look at his excellent collection, Asthma, published a little while back by Sparkplug Comics, it's a rare gem.
Bottomless Belly Button	Dash Shaw	Fantagraphics		$25.00 ($29.99 list)
Read more and comment...	Weighing in at 700+ pages, we're pretty sure this one surpasses Craig Thompson's Blankets as the longest unserialized graphic novel ever published in the US. Just think: over 700 pages of far out and freaky graphic storytelling that you've never laid eyes on before -- and neither had we... until we sat down (after getting together a solid supply of food and drink to sustain us) and read this hefty tome. Where to start? Well, first off is the fact that the book took over two years to draw, is divided into three sections (each of which you are advised by the author to take a break after reading -- although we have to admit that we ignored this warning and plowed straight through), is printed in brown ink on 6" x 9" white paper, and tells the tale of the Loony family, in particular Peter Loony. It begins with the line, "There are many types of sand." Some 700 pages later the urge to compare this book to Blankets was, at least for us, irresisitable. Like Blankets, Bottomless Belly Button is also a deeply personal work of catharsis that takes the form of a long, involved book that tells the tale of an introverted artist struggling with the emotional baggage he has been weighed down with by his family and who, in his effort to move ahead, gets involved with an extroverted, more sexually experienced girl. But, while the general narrative arc of these two works may have much in common, the specifics are different in almost every particular. The setting here is a hot and sunny beach, the exact opposite of the icy cold snowy north woods of Blankets. The sexual episodes in BBB are presented as being (at least somewhat) perverse and unsettling, as opposed to the rhapsodic and fulfilling scenes of sexual congress in Blankets. BBB is intellectual and analytical where Blankets is lyrical and expressive. The crucial difference lies in the attention given to the other family members. In BBB, while the protagonist is alienated from his family from the word go, the family itself is given much, much more attention here than in Blankets, with each family member being given a fully fleshed out portrait and their own set of challenges. While the protagonist may be alienated from his family, the creator of this work, Dash Shaw, certainly has quite a bit of empathy for all actors in his drama, and as a result the reader comes away from BBB with a surprisingly strong sense of each member of the supporting cast and, crucially, how they all fit together as a family. In the final analysis, BBB is more about probing the mystery of the family than it is a rite of passage tale, and so, really, is not so much like Blankets after all.
Stuck in the Middle: Seventeen Comics from an Unpleasant Age	Daniel Clowes, Dash Shaw, Lauren Weinstein, Gabrielle Bell and more ...	UNDEFINED		$17.00 ($18.95 list)
Read more and comment...	Edited by Ariel Schrag. The "joys" of middle school are displayed here in all their angst-filled glory. Ms. Schrag has managed to recruit an impressive array of comics talent to turn in 200 pages of teen turmoil, and, on top of that, to convince the venerable Viking publishing house to release it. Included in this zit-poppin' anthology are works by Gabrielle Bell, Ariel Bordeaux, Robyn Chapman, Daniel Clowes, Vanessa Davis, Nick Eliopulos, Eric Enright, Jim Hoover, Cole Johnson, Joe Matt, Jace Smith, Aaron Renier, Ariel Schrag (2), Tania Schrag, Dash Shaw & Lauren Weinstein. While the Dan Clowes and Joe Matt are reprints of previously published material, all the rest was, to the best of our knowledge, produced specifically for this anthology and is appearing here for the first time. The stories cover typical teen concerns, but especially focus on the alienated outsider (which pretty much defines just about anyone at some point in their teenage years). This is a book about teens that is both suitable for and will appeal to those currently in middle school, as well as those who have passed through and lived to tell the tale. Here's a book you won't have to go out of your way to get a teen to read. Special Bonus: the Junior High photos of the contributors included in the biographical information at the back of the book may very well be worth the entire price of the book. You may find yourself tempted to cut out your favorite and put it on your refreigerator (or in your wallet).

Mon - Thu	11 - 5
Fri & Sat	11 - 7
Sun	12 - 4