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Megan Kelso




Title Creator Publisher Series Price
Queen of the Black Black Megan Kelso Fantagraphics $17.77
($19.99 list)
Queenblack
Read more and comment... 		Fantagraphics brings back into print this collection of Megan Kelso's early work that was originally published by small press pioneer Highwater Books way back in 1998.  Queen of the Black Black collects Kelso's Girl Hero series, six issues of which were released between 1992 and 1997, along with two 1998 stories including the title tale.  Kelso charts the ups and downs of growing up a girl and building an original, independent female identity in life and comics.
Artichoke Tales Megan Kelso Fantagraphics $19.99
($22.99 list)
Artichoke
Read more and comment... 		It took a while, but she did it!  This chunky, pert, hardcover volume finally delivers on the promise of Kelso's self-published mini-comics trilogy of the same name that brought her multiple Ignatz awards way back in 2002.  During the intervening years, Kelso has been busy with – among other things, such as having a major work run 24 weeks in the New York Times – raising a child.  And as anyone who has done so knows, personal creative work not only necessarily retreats into the background of the rigorous demands of the day-to-day, but is very difficult to find the time to do.  In other words, the fact that an artistic work is completed during the trials of parenthood is as sure a guarantor that the work is passionately cared about as any we can think of, and Artichoke Tales is a work that can be cited in defense of this premise.  This volume provides (if memory serves) roughly twice the amount of the previously extant material, and all long suffering Kelso fans are sure to be pleased.  Doubt us?  Then check out this massive 16-page PDF preview, and doubt no more!
Scheherazade: Comics About Love, Treachery, Mothers and Monsters Megan Kelso $16.95
($19.95 list)
Sheherezade
Read more and comment... 		Better late -- and slightly flawed -- than never; that's what we say about this new 224 page anthology of contemporary comics by women from Soft Skull Press.  As a result of an imaging software mix-up, the half-tones on several of the stories do not appear as they were intended, and while, yes, this does impact the æsthetic experience of the affected pieces, you can still enjoy and appreciate them; and please bear in mind that this problem affected only a minority -- less than a third -- of the pieces presented here.  OK, now that we have that out of the way, let's just say that Scheherazade is the best all X chromosome anthology that's come our way in quite awhile, and not one that you should pass by.  To the best of our knowledge none of the stories here have been seen before, making for a rare opportunity to really take a good long look at a solid batch of new work.  Here's who you'll cross paths with if you venture forth: Andrice Arp, Gabrielle Bell, Ariel Bordeaux, Shary Boyle, Isabel Carvalho, Robyn Chapman, Allison Cole, Leela Corman, Eleanor Davis, Vanessa Davis, Jennifer DayDreamer, Ellen Forney, Garbrielle Gamboa, Megan Kelso, Ellen Lindner, Amy Lockhart, J. Manix, Nikki McClure (cover),Sophie McMillan, Lark Pien, Ariel Schrag, Kelly Seda, Sara Varon, and Lauren Weinstein.
The Comics Journal Special Edition 2005 (#5) Paul Hornschemeier, Igort, Gilbert Hernandez, Jaime Hernandez and more ... Fantagraphics $19.95
($24.95 list)
OUT OF STOCK!
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Read more and comment... 		Well, for our money at least, this volume is hands down the best so far.  It has a tripartite structure:  A survey of Manga Masters featuring pieces on Osamu Tezuka, Hideshi Hino, Suehiro Maruo, Saseo Ono and Yoshihiro Tsuge; a focus on Vaughn Bodé that features a critical appreciation, a revealing biography and a personal reminiscence  -- all amply accompanied by classic and rare Bodé comics, illustrations and rarely (if ever!) seen sketchbook pages; and then there's the giant comics feature:  this time around the theme is "seduction" and the contributions by many of today's best comics practitioners are top notch.  Among the contributors are Jaime and Gilbert Hernandez, Igort (whose 4-pager is among the highlights), Mary Fleener, Rick Geary, Bill Griffith, Megan Kelso, Paul Hornschemeier, Marc Bell, Gabrielle Bell (whose submission is her most accomplished work yet published), Carol Lay and many others.  This is a great volume to have just lying around:  no matter what page you open to you'll find something engaging.
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.
The Squirrel Mother Stories Megan Kelso $13.55
($16.95 list)
Squirrel
Read more and comment... 		This is Ms. Kelso's second solo collection of stories. Beautifully designed by former Highwater Press publisher Tom Devlin, this volume will have all those who were mourning Highwater's passing up on their feet and doing a little dance, as it is proof positive that the production values that won a place in the hearts of so many comics readers are still alive and well. This edition is a pleasure to peruse, and was clearly done in collaboration with Ms. Kelso. (Devlin is also currently more-or-less the in-house designer at Drawn & Quarterly as well, helping them maintain that presses already high standards). Squirrel Mother brings together fourteen stories, including three which have not been previously published. Full color, duo-tone, monochrome and black and white as the story calls for, each finely crafted work contained herein is a perfect match of form to content. Childhood memories are the dominant theme here, but the collection ranges far and wide and includes three truly excellent essays in comics on Alexander Hamilton's life and role in the founding of the American republic, as well as the unclassifiable "The Pickle Fork," and "Split Rock, Montana." Recommended.