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Art Spiegelman




Title Creator Publisher Series Price
Someday Funnies Jack Kirby, Will Eisner, C.C. Beck, Wallace Wood and more ... Abrams ComicArts $45.00
($55.00 list)
Somedayfunnies
Read more and comment... 		edited by Michel Choquette  Well, here's something you don't see everyday:  a comics anthology that has been completed but unable to find a publisher for nearly forty years, finally being published!  As readers of The Comics Journal #299 – the cover feature of which was an in-depth article on the history of this volume – already know, this volume had reached a legendary/mythical status.  Robert Greenfield's introduction squarely situates the work contained in this volume as a document of "The Sixties," While comics critic/historian Jeet Heer's foreword provides ample context and background for the comics work the book contains as well as a chronology of its epic 40-year journey from inception to publication.  We've barely dipped out toes in this majorly oversize – 11" x 17" – 216 page, full color hardcover volume containing 120 comic strips by 169 creators, so we're not going to say much about the contents at this time, but we will provide you with some of the contributors, and let you do the math:  Jack Kirby, Will Eisner, C.C. Beck, Wallace Wood, Harvey Kurtzman, Arnold Roth, Don Martin, Gahan Wilson, Bobby London, Trina Robbins, Vaughn Bodé, Steve Englehart, Archie Goodwin, Denny O'Neil, Ralph Reese, Alan Weiss, Herb Trimpe, Frank Zappa, Harlan Ellison, William S. Burroughs, Roy Thomas, Barry Smith (before he added Windsor) Guido Crepax, Ralph Steadman, Leo & Diane Dillon, Walter & Louise Simonson, Justin Green, Bill Griffith, Red Grooms, Russ Heath, Jay Kinney, Denis Kitchen, (a very young) Art Spiegelman, (also very young) Stan Mack, Ever Meulen,  Joost Swarte, Tom Wolfe,  Federico Fellini, and many, many more!  Also included is a "92-drawing take on Choquette's travels by Michael Fog" that parallels and brackets the comics the volumes contains.  Surprisingly (at least to us), the intent to create an interweaving bracketing tale was a component of the original volume's conception, and blank spaces were deliberately left in many of the pages at Choquette's instruction. 
Six Novels in Woodcuts (boxed set): Gods’ Man • Madman’s Drum • Wild Pilgrimage Prelude to a Million Years • Song Without Words • Vertigo Lynd Ward, Art Spiegelman Library of America Library of America $63.00
($70.00 list)
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Read more and comment... 		We are quite happy to report that the venerable Library of America has done right by the unique works of Lynd Ward.  From the Art Spiegelman introduction through the choice of texts, and, most crucially, to the quality of the reproduction and presentation, this two volume collection of the works of this pioneering, Depression-era master of the art of telling stories without words has opened the door of the official American literary canon to the graphic novel form.  Please visit the LoA page on this work and be treated to an overview of the work and an exclusive pdf interview with Art Spiegelman about the project, along with a 16-page preview. 
The Comics Journal #300 Kevin Huizenga, Art Spiegelman, Howrad Chaykin, Ho Che Anderson and more ... Fantagraphics The Comics Journal $12.75
($14.99 list)
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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!
The Best American Comics 2009 Dash Shaw, Koren Shadmi, David Sandlin, Ron Regé and more ... Houghton Mifflin Best American $20.00
($22.95 list)
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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.
The Toon Treasury of Classic Children's Comics Walt Kelly, Bob Bolling, John Stanley, Harvey Kurtzman and more ... Abrams ComicArts $35.00
($40.00 list)
Toon-treasury
Read more and comment... 		edited by Art Spiegelman and Francois Mouly If the amazing kids' comics from the halycon days of yore are your thing, then you've hit the jackopot with this one!  Well over 300 pages of classics, all scanned from the original comics themselves, and printed at approximately 120% of the originals.  These scans have been digitally cleaned up a bit, so there's no newsprint background tones, just the flat white paper that they're printed on.  While this might upset some purists, it was probably a good call as this book is clearly going to be marketed as a gift for children as well as for older fans, and lay people will have difficulty appreciating the nuances of newsprint; and they did a more than decent job of balancing the tones.  The book is, somewhat arbitrarily, divided into five sections:  Hey, Kids; Funny Animals; Fantasyland; Storytime; and Weird and Wacky.  The book successfully draws across the spectrum of children's comics from the twenty years following the close of the second world war – the golden age of kids' comics that fed the baby boomers' imaginations before television took over.  While certainly no one is going to agree with every choice, the editors – along with the board of advisors – picked a good crop of comics that is certain to contain favorites of every fan as well as win the hearts of every reader and, more importantly, is sure to capture the imagination of the next generation.  Includes work by all-time greats Carl Barks, Basil Wolverton, Harvey Kurtzman, John Stanley, Bob Bolling, Walt Kelly, and many, many more (even Dr. Seuss, who started out in comics).  Get a sneak peek, here (just click on the image of the open book at the top right, under "Sample Toon Treasury").
Be a Nose! Three Sketchbooks Art Spiegelman McSweeney's $25.00
($29.00 list)
Beanose
Read more and comment... 		In inimitable McSweeney's fashion, this publication recreates three of Art Spiegelman's actual sketchbooks, accompanies them with a small stand alone guide that would make you think of an oversized CD booklet even if it wasn't titled "Liner Notes," and then secures them with an old fashioned book strap to create this one of a kind item that is sure to appeal to design fans . The first and smallest of the sketchbooks dates from 1979 and shows art just getting under way; the second and by far the most vital, engaging and intriguing, dates from 1983, at what may be the apogee of his creativity, during the Raw/Maus era, and shows him clearly (at least at times) under the spell of Gary Panter; the third, is amazingly recent, dating from 2007, is surprisingly deft, showing Spiegelman in more of a Crumb mood and thinking visually again.  It is doubtless this return to sketchbook-making that has led to this publication as Spiegelman was famously adverse to the idea in the past.  Any and all intrigued with the revolution in comics brought about by Raw would benefit by a trip through these, as would artists interested in learning Spiegleman's methodology, influences and development. 
Maus (two-volume slip cased edition ) Art Spiegelman Pantheon $25.00
($28.95 list)
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In the Shadow of No Towers Art Spiegelman Pantheon $17.77
($19.95 list)
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Read more and comment... 		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. 
Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons, and True Stories: Volume Two David Mazzuchelli, Leif Goldberg, Brian Chippendale, Elinore Norflus and more ... Yale University Press $20.00
($28.00 list)
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Read more and comment... 		edited by Ivan Brunetti It's too early to say for certain, but this follow-up to Brunetti's already classic 2006 anthology, also published by Yale University Press, might just be even better than its precursor.  One thing's for certain:  Brunetti has held onto -- and further refined -- his editorial vision of arranging the work contained in this volume in an organic sequence, deftly managing to map out the similarities between artists so that each piece flows smoothly into into the other, creating an amazing sense of an innate connectivity between all areas of comics here on display.  This book is a powerful ally in the struggle to bring the light of comics to those poor souls still dwelling in the darkness.  It's the perfect choice to turn on a friend or relative to the joy, beauty and pleasures of our favorite medium.  Hold onto your hats, here's the contributor list:  Daniel Clowes, Saul Steinberg, Sammy Harkham, Chris Ware, R. Sikoryak, Michael Kupperman, Drew Friedman, Mark Beyer, Mack White, Jayr Pulga, Renee French, Kim Deitch, Richard Sala, J. Bradley Johnson, Archer Prewit, Anonymous (utility sketchbook), HJ Tuthill, Milt Gross, Bill Holman, Harvey Kurtzman, R.Crumb, Basil Wolverton, Art Spiegelman, Jess, John Hankiewicz, Tim Hensley, Bill Griffith, Richard McGuire, Gilbert Hernandez, Jim Woodring, David Collier, Eugene Teal, Charles Burns, Karl Wirsum, Gary Panter, Paper Rad, Fletcher Hanks, CF, Charles Forbell, Ron Rege, Jr., Winsor McCay, Matthew Thurber, Souther Salazar, Kevin Scalzo, Megan Kelso, James McShane, Laura Park, Vanessa Davis, Onsmith, Joe Matt, Jeffrey Brown, Martin Cendreda, Dave Kiersh, John Porcellino, Carrie Golus/Patrick Welch, Jessica Abel, Cole Johnson, Lynda Barry, Debbie Drechsler, Diane Noomin, Aline Kominsky-Crum, Ariel Bordeaux, Chester Brown, Anders Nilsen, Joe Sacco, Phoebe Gloeckner, Elinore Norflus, Brian Chippendale, Leif Goldberg, David Mazzuchelli, Jerry Moriarty, Ben Katchor, Frank Santoro, Dan Zettwoch, Kevin Huizenga, Harvey Pekar/R.Crumb, Carol Tyler, Maurice Vellekoop, Seth, Adrian Tomine, Jaime Hernandez & David Heatley.  It's simply amazing.  Comics Power!  PLEASE NOTE:  We feel compelled to mention that this volume includes several pieces that contain quite explicit sexual content; and while this content represents only a miniscule fraction of the total, it nevertheless renders this volume fit for ADULTS ONLY.
Breakdowns Art Spiegelman Pantheon $13.75
($27.50 list)
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Read more and comment... 		This volume reissues the seminal, long out-of-print, and highly sought after volume which collected Spiegelman's trailblazing (pre-Maus)1970s work.  These are the thoroughly original, self-aware comics about comics through which he forged a comics of deconstruction.  This, in turn, led him, along with his wife, François Mouly, to pioneer a new comics aesthetics that forefronted comics' formal properties, consciously focused on the mechanics of production and that changed the face of comics in the 1980s: RAW.  And there's more:  this fabulous, oversize harcover volume includes a 20-page introduction in comics form in which Spiegelman takes the logical next step and deconstucts his own comics!  This one is pretty much essential.  NOW ON SALE FOR HALF PRICE!
Actus presents Dead Herring Comics Art Spiegelman Actus Tragicus $22.22
($24.95 list)
OUT OF STOCK!
Deadherring
Read more and comment... 		Those of you who have been sitting on the fence about Actus can finally get off it as they have finally hit the nail on the head with this one. It's a 120 page oversize (9" x 12") softcover in the tradition of Raw and the D & Q Annuals, with a pinch of the old Mad Magazine Super Specials thrown in in the form of six detachable posters.  It's mostly full color, but there are several B & W pieces as well.  Worthy of special note is the six pages of full color "In the Shadow of No Towers" strips by Art Spiegelman, and the first english language interview we've ever seen with Japanese manga master, Suehiro Maruo.  The rest of the issue is filled with contributions from the regular Actus gang, most if not all of whom are based in Israel and Europe; and it really isn't hype when we say that this issue represents their best work so far.  Definitely worth a look.
McSweeney's #13 Mark Beyer, Ivan Brunetti, Kaz, Art Spiegelman and more ... McSweeney's McSweeney's $20.00
($24.00 list)
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Read more and comment... 		Finally, it's here:  the most anticipated release of 2004 (so far).  Striving for objet d'art status, McSweeney's 13 comes as close as any comics release to attaining it.  Starting with a dust jacket that folds out into a two sided comics poster: the outer side featuring a dense full color, 360º narrative by editor and comics fiend, Chris Ware; the inner side featuring a vaguely ceremonial (think Mayan) worshipping of the idols of comics by Gary Panter.  But there's more:  tucked into the folds of this dust-jacket-cum-suitable-for-framing-wall-art are two mini-comics commissioned especially for this issue; one -- in full color -- by Ron Rege, Jr., and the other in B & W (as it should be) by long time mini-master, John Porcellino.  And that's just the dust jacket!  Moving on to the front and back binding plates (the hard covers beneath the dust jacket), we have a hundred or so images culled from a 1936 guide to cartooning separated by a lavishly embossed spine. The end papers are by Ivan Brunetti, and feature a wallpaper of minimalistic renditions of his personal comics and cartoon hall of fame.  And, finally, there is the contents of the book itself.  The subject of much speculation as to whether it would be reprints or newly commissioned work, the answer is... Both!  About half and half, depending on how you look at it.  Here's how it breaks down:  Some of the work has appeared in non-comics periodicals, but is collected herein for the first time.  Under this category are Mark Beyer, Ivan Brunetti, Kaz, Art Spiegelman (although his pieces are being reprinted everywhere at this point) and some of the pieces by Chris Ware.  Straight out reprints are the inclusions by Charles Burns (although the frontispiece is new), Chester Brown, Debbie Drechsler, Jaime and Gilberto Hernandez, Mark Newgarden, Archer Prewitt, Joe Sacco, Richard Sala (newly colored, however), Seth, and Adrian Tomine.  New to us -- and therefore, we imagine, new to you as well --  are the works by Lynda Barry, Jeffrey Brown, Dan Clowes, David Collier, R. Crumb, Kim Deitch, Julie Doucet, David Heatley, Ben Katchor, Joe Matt, Richard McGuire, Gary Panter, some of the Chris Ware, and of course the aforementioned dust-jacket and minis.  In addition to all this contemporary work, there are selections of classic and archival work sprinkled throughout: First and foremost among these is a 15-page spread on "the inventor of comics," Rodolphe Töpfler, and his first appearance in America, introduced by Chris Ware; an 80% reproduction of an original 1922 Mutt and Jeff daily strip by Bud Fisher that takes four pages to display (which gives you an idea of how big they drew comics back then!); and a nine page spread on George Herriman, introduced by Tim Samuelson and featuring Herriman's last Krazy Kat dailies, also reproduced from the originals.  And, as if this weren't enough, there are two appreciations by Chris Ware, one of the abstract-expressionist-turned-representational-painter-with-a-personal-affinity-for-comics-iconography, Philip Guston, and the other of Peanuts creator, 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.  The volume opens with a preface from Ira Glass, followed by an introduction by Chris Ware, who, when all is said and done, is clearly more than simply the editor of this work.  This is a great piece, especially when you consider it's primary purpose:  preaching to the unconverted, those countless, teeming millions out there in America and beyond who don't locate the foundation of their identity in comics.  With this volume, McSweeney's begins a new ambitious distribution arrangement with Publisher's Group West in the USA and Penguin Books in the UK; thereby bringing their publications before a great many more potential readers.  They couldn't have chosen a better volume to initiate this venture.  Let's wish them luck.
Big Fat Little Lit Art Spiegelman, Françoise Mouly $13.49
($14.95 list)
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Read more and comment... 		edited by Art Spiegelman & Françoise Mouly For those of you who missed the hardcover editions of Little Lit the first time around, this fine, French-flapped softcover edition collects a good sized-chunk of all three hardcovers for less than the price of one!  Includes the work of Spiegelman, David Sedaris, Patrick McDonnell, Dan Clowes, Charles Burns, David Mazzucchelli, Tony Millionaire, Lemony Snicket, Crockett Johnson, Basil Wolverton, Kaz, Kim Deitch, Walt Kelly, Richard McGuire and many others!
In the Studio: Visits with Contemporary Cartoonists Todd Hignite, R. Crumb, Art Spiegelman, Gary Panter and more ... Yale University Press $17.77
($29.95 list)
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Read more and comment... 		WOW!!!  It's here and it's a dream come true.  Founding editor of Comic Art magazine, Todd Hignite has given us an elegant, oversize, beautifully produced, 320 page hardcover book that takes you into the studio and collections of today's top independent cartoonists.  Featuring tons (499, to be exact) of reproductions of the highest quality, depicting the original art, personal collections and physical environs of R. Crumb, Art Spiegelman, Gary Panter, Charles Burns, Jaime Hernandez, Dan Clowes, Seth, Chris Ware and Ivan Brunetti side by side with extensive interviews with the creators themselves, this is a book to savor.  Todd Hignite is a passionate, intelligent and articulate defender of comics.  His concise introductions to each of the assembled artists are examplary, and the introductory overiew with which he opens the book is an eloquent and perspicacious presentation of the richly complex significance of the art and practice of comics. Recommended! NOW 40% OFF!  A real treasure, for less.