The Copacetic Comics Company Kyle Baker

Kyle Baker

Title	Creator	Publisher	Price
Kyle Baker Cartoonist #Volume 2	Kyle Baker		$12.70 ($14.95 list)
Read more and comment...	More essential knowledge in cartoon form from the master himself. No one does Mad Magazine style humor better than Kyle Baker. Mad itself hasn't been this good in over thirty years! This guy has it down.
How to Draw Stupid	Kyle Baker		$15.25 ($16.95 list)
Read more and comment...	The first thing you should know about this book is that, while it is indeed a how-to-draw art book, it's NOT for people who want to learn how to be Artists, or how to "express themselves." This IS a book for those who are looking to learn the ins and outs of cartooning, who are interested in becoming professionals, who want a career -- especially those who need some encouragement and could use some common sense advice. The sound, solid and simple premise upon which this book is based is that if someone is or was successful then their work is worth studying, and their opinions are worth listening to. Anytime Jack Kirby, Will Eisner and Frank Miller do or say something, it is, ipso facto, worth paying attention to -- your investment of time and energy will be rewarded with personal improvement and career advancement. Kyle Baker is successful, therefore you should pay attention to what he has to offer if you too are interested in being successful. How to Draw Stupid is a potential supplement to Abel & Madden's Drawing Words, Writing Pictures listed above. Where DW, WP takes the programmatic approach of traditional pedagogy, HtDS take the personal approach of the master-apprentice relationship. Also, and importantly, whereas DW, WP takes a broad overview of the entire field of combining words and pictures to tell stories, HtDS is specifically directed at the narrow focus region of humorous cartooning. If you are interested in being a successful, professional cartoonist, and, especially if you like, enjoy and/or admire Kyle Baker's work, then getting a hold of a copy of this book should move right to the top of your to-do list. The book is written in an intimate, personal tone (it is also funny). Reading this book really feels like sitting across from Kyle as he works at his drawing table (or as you both share a booth at the local tavern, to which he has brought his portfolio and sketchbook). We felt like he was right there, talking us through his method, telling us his opinions (of which he has many and is not shy in sharing them), intermittently leafing through his portfolio and now and then whipping off a quick sketch to illustrate a point. Sometimes, you might feel like he's holding onto his opinions a little too firmly -- as we did when he insisted only one of fifteen different drawings of eyes was "truly" stupid (we could be wrong, but we'd be hard pressed to imagine that the "correct" answer would be chosen by a majority) -- but that's part of the charm: he's not holding back, he's not trying to conform to any preconceived notion of "correctness", he's just being himself, a straight-shootin' cartoonist sharing the secrets of success, and makin' a buck doing it -- which is exactly what he'd recommend you do, should the opportunity present itself.
Nat Turner	Kyle Baker		$11.75 ($12.95 list)
Read more and comment...	Mister Baker, perhaps the funniest cartoonist alive, steps out of his clown shoes and puts on his severest suit and tie to deliver this sermon of repression and defiance, violence and vengeance, and struggle and sacrifice, in this synecdochical story of slavery in these United States. Reading this book, in which the narrative is advanced almost entirely in images (pantomime style) interspersed with excerpts from The Confessions of Nat Turner, it is impossible not to marvel at the strength of Baker's storytelling. And, there is a method to the madness of attempting to relate so complex a tale entirely in images. It captures the forced silence of the lives of the slaves it chronicles, a silence that was doubled by the forced illiteracy imposed by the slave owners. It was exactly this imposed silence that Nat Turner intuited was at the root of the condition that he felt called upon to rise up against and destroy. Thus the interspersed text stands as the beacon that Turner meant it to be, and when the long silence of the narrative is punctuated by a lone cry, it takes on both an urgency and a poignancy as a result of its standing alone. Here's a hefty preview that might take a moment or two to load, but rest assured your patience will be amply rewarded. As will any purchaser of this elegantly produced (and quite reasonably priced) 208 page softcover edition. The character of Nat Turner is one of the fiercest embodiments of anger on the American historical register, and Baker's depiction doesn't hold back, revealing a wellspring of anger in Baker's soul. That he has both chosen and managed to channel this anger into a successful career based on making people laugh is a testament to his character and a powerful demonstration of the truth embedded in the old adage, "Laughter is the best medicine."
Birth of A Nation	Aaron McGruder, Reginald Hudlin, Kyle Baker		$13.95 ($13.95 list)
Read more and comment...	This wonderful political satire is now available in an attractive affordable softcover edition. Here's what we had to say about the hardcover edition: "This is hands down the most entertaining and insightful political satire to grow out of the mess that was the 2000 presidential election. 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. 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." And here's a few other notable opinions the book has garnered since then: "Birth of a Nation is the wickedly funny marriage of The Boondocks, House Party, and The Battle of Algiers. Be prepared to laugh yourself silly while repeating over and over again -- 'how true.'" -- Julian Bond, chairman NAACP "Birth of a Nation is a brilliant, biting and witty commentary on the chaos of the 2000 election. Hudlin and McGruder have achieved that rarest of things: a political satire that is also an extremely important and moving work of literature, an achievement for any writer or any artist at any time. Birth of a Nation is a unique event in the history of American literature." -- Henry Louis Gates, Jr. "Reggie and Aaron are doing to comic books what Public Enemy and NWA did to the music business." -- Ice Cube While we agree with all these comments we feel that Kyle Baker is not given the props he deserves: for our money his is the greatest contribution of all. I mean let's get real for a minute here: after you've read this book, try imagining it drawn by Aaron McGruder himself; or, say, Denys Cowan, or Ho Che Anderson, or any of the other many talented African American cartoonists and comics artists out there.... You can't. Only Kyle could have pulled this one off. So wise up people and give credit where credit is due! Birth of a Nation is a masterpiece for our times. NOW OUT OF PRINT - WE ONLY HAVE A FEW LEFT!
Kyle Baker: Cartoonist	Kyle Baker	Kyle Baker Publishing	$13.50 ($14.95 list)
Read more and comment...	This is a collection of all new work by the one of the funniest comics artists working. Long time readers of Mad Magazine who mourn the loss of the Mad’s glory days may very well find what they’re looking for here as many of the strips here read more like the Mad Magazine of the 1960s and early ‘70s than anything that’s appeared in Mad for many years. And, of course, it’s a must have for any true fan of Kyle Baker.
The Bakers	Kyle Baker		$17.00 ($18.95 list)
Read more and comment...	A gorgeous full color hardcover collection of all the Bakers strips seen so far, PLUS a brand new piece created especially for this volume. This book is the funniest comics work dealing the early years of child-rearing -- especially those aspects related to gender roles -- we've ever read. A great gift idea for comics-reading fledgling parents.
The Bakers:  Babies and Kittens	Kyle Baker		$17.00 ($18.99 list)
Read more and comment...	What's cuter than babies? Babies and kittens! The funniest man in comics returns with anther hardcover collection of thinly veiled stories of his family's antics that will deeply resonate to any comics reader suffering through paternity. Any and all Chuck Jones fans will find this book a dream come true with its hi-jinx cartoon style which is deeply indebted to Jones. This is a very funny book. You will laugh.
Nat Turner, Volume Two: Revolution	Kyle Baker	Image Comics	$8.88 ($10.00 list)
Read more and comment...	The violent conclusion to Kyle Baker's award-winning comics bio of Nat Turner, who, after having endured epic sufferings detailed in the first volume of Baker's series, was inspired by the Bible to lead one of the bloodiest slave rebellions in United States history.

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