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No publisher is doing more to publish and promote an artistically progressive body of contemporary comics work than PictureBox. Employing a curatorial approach, each new PictureBox release has the impact of an exciting new art show at your favorite gallery.


Title Creator Publisher Series Price
Cold Heat Special #6 Chris Cornwell PictureBox Cold Heat $10.00
($12.00 list)
Coldheatspecial6med
Read more and comment... 		Yes, Cold Heat Special 8 and 9 have come (and gone) but without any sign of numbers 6 and 7... until now!  Over a year in the making, Cold Heat Special number six is now in stock and it's a one-of-a-kind, hand-crafted work of art.  Wrapped in fabulous  front and back cover silkscreens – complete with inside front and back cover silk-screened "endpapers," which are overlaid with hand tipped full color "plates" (ink jet prints) – this magazine-size special is an aesthetic treat and feast for the eyes, yes, but most of all it is an experience for the mind.  Extending and vastly expanding on the themes he introduced in his first Cold Heat Special (number two), Cornwell has here seamlessly merged his own artistic concerns with those of Cold Heat creators BJ and Santoro to forge a fantastic journey to the center of the mind that intimates at the nature of eternal recurrence and the simultaneity of historicity in a universe that has banished linear time and made way for cosmic consciousness.  All while working firmly in the Cold Heat tradition of living off the grid and on the fringes – turned on to DIY culture and a new life of untested possibilities.  Limited to 100 copies. Recommended!  
Cold Heat #7/8 B. J., Frank Santoro PictureBox Cold Heat $18.88
($20.00 list)
Coldheat7-8sma
Read more and comment... 		Cold Heat closes in for the kill with another double issue.  This one brings the series one double issue away from completion.  After the massive action blow-out of #5/6, this time around we have more of a culture jam as the saga crosses international boundaries when Castle & Co. head to the southern hemisphere, accompanied by the BBC.  The modern condition of living in the global village is given the Cold Heat treatment as well.  Land lines and laptops, mobile phones and desktops, the internet and intensive care units, wifi and the web, credit cards and music festivals, airports and hotel rooms, Starbucks and taxi cabs,  bright beaches and dark alleys – all seamlessly connect to form the all-encompassing phenomenological envelope that passes for reality in the 21st century.  As always, series artist, Frank Santoro takes chances – starting, most obviously this time around, with the front cover, which invokes Ellsworth Kelly and Ad Reinhardt while highlighting the "thingness" of a comic book – as he pushes and pokes at the formal elements that make up the current corpus of comics in his ongoing challenge to the received wisdom that constitutes contemporary comics orthodoxy.  The images we've selected to illustrate this listing focus on one of Santoro's greatest strengths:  that of exploring the many avenues open to graphically rendering interior subjective states of mind beyond mere mastery of facial expression.  The many faces of Castle on display in the pages of Cold Heat embody one aspect of The many faces of Castle on display in the pages of Cold Heat embody the struggle to forge new tools to place in the comics craft toolbox, making each issue of the series double as a workshop – and none moreso than this one. the struggle to forge new tools to place in the comics craft toolbox, making each issue of the series double as a workshop – and none moreso than this one.  There's an aspect to the experience of reading Cold Heat that feels like being taken behind the scenes to see how it's done while the action never stops happening all around.  It's like bringing you right there on the set while they're filming yet still managing to maintain the manufactured illusion of the movie.  This issue has a terrifyingly low print run of 100 copies, so delay purchase at your own risk.
Cold Heat Special #9 Lane Milburn, Frank Santoro PictureBox Cold Heat $12.00
($15.00 list)
OUT OF STOCK!
Chs9sm
Read more and comment... 		The latest Cold Heat Special takes the standard practice of many hand-made self-published comics (including several of the previous numbers in this very series) – that of the silk-screened cover encasing photocopied interior pages – and stands it on its head.  Yes, that's right, you guessed it:  this one has a photocopied cover enclosing 16 hand-silk-screened interior pages of pantomime comics which pictographically record the spiritual regeneration of Castle  as she merges with both the biological and historical forces that power her quest for truth, justice and personal growth.  Also from PictureBox.  LIMITED TO 100 COPIES!
Multiforce Mat Brinkman PictureBox $13.50
($15.00 list)
Brinkmannewsm
Read more and comment... 		After last year's release of Brian Chippendale's Maggots, this work is  the last major piece of the puzzle that is made up of the long awaited comics works from the halcyon days of Fort Thunder.  Although those days are now fading into history, the work itself is only now finally getting the wider exposure it deserves; which, in turn, will allow the next generation to put together these pieces in their own original ways.  No surprise that this, as well as the bulk of other Fort Thunder works, are all issuing forth from that art comics publishing powerhouse, PictureBox, Inc.  Multiforce is a megasize (11" x 16.5") saddle-stitched pamphlet comics that brings together the entirety of this  Fort Thunder era serial that originally ran in the pages of Paper Rodeo from 2000 through 2005.  This is truly original work that has had a strong influence on many of the up and coming generation – but only on those who managed to get a hold of the hard to come by original copies of Paper Rodeo.  Now it is here for all!
The Ganzfeld #4 Gary Panter, Mark Newgarden, Frank Santoro, David Sandlin and more ... PictureBox The Ganzfeld $26.95
($29.95 list)
New_ganz_4
Read more and comment... 		The Ganzfeld No. 4: Art History? Two years in the making, the latest issue of the Ganzfeld is finally on our shelves!  It starts out with a wraparound cover and end papers by the high priestess of Canadian comics, Julie Doucet, and doesn't let up .  After the lead off introductions by editor, Dan Nadel and artist extraordinaire, Peter Blegvad, the book is divided up into four sections of approximately equal length.  In the first, Art History, you'll discover a lot that you hadn't know that you needed to know but will be glad to learn, including the secret history of the enigmatic cover art for Led Zeppelin's Presence that's always been a nagging question mark lurking in a back alley of your consciousness ever since you first saw it back in 1976.  Next up is Drawings, by the recognized hepsters Gary Panter and Mark Newgarden, as well as others whose art you are far less likely to have previously come into contact with; but now will!  Artists on Art is an intriguing, highly engaging and fairly unique feature which presents artists on art in art:  David Sandlin's 18-page, lushly colored piece on H.C. Westermann is a tour de force of admiration, while Marc Bell's Ph.D.-thesis-in-comics-form provides a fresh, delightful and direct access to the work of Philip Guston that will be much appreciated by many.  And then, finally, there's the Comics.  This section starts off,  semi-miraculously, with a six-page walking tour of Pittsburgh, both real and dreamed -- as a place on the map and as a state of mind -- by peripatetic former resident, Frank Santoro, and continues with fine work by Paper Rad, Leif Goldberg, Ted Stearn, Matthew Thurber, Jim Drain, Mark Newgarden, and a wild and wooly journey to the center of the mind by "C.F."  The centerpiece is the amazing 22-page, "Ganmodoki," a piece from the late, surrealist period of Japanese manga legend, Shigeru Sugiura.  And there you have it.
We Lost the War but Not the Battle Michel Gondry PictureBox $5.00
($5.99 list)
Welost
Read more and comment... 		This straight-up 32-page full color comic book by the famed French Filmmaker, Michel Gondry, rounds out this month's PictureBox trifecta.  Perhaps the zaniest war comic ever produced, Gondry pits four former draft evading slackers against a hoard of communist babes intent on taking over France in this over the top satire that conflates the battle between the sexes, the war on communism and modern America-centric militarism to create a comic book that has a surprisingly large amount in common with the old-school underground comics of yore.
The Goddess of War Lauren Weinstein PictureBox $11.00
($12.95 list)
Goddessofwar
Read more and comment... 		Also from PictureBox, this gigantic (10" x 15") comic book is the first installment of an epic fantasy that incorporates South and North American Indian history and lore, twentieth century European conflicts and surrealistic science fiction with a contemporary, urban art comics aesthetic to forge a modern mythology of war, and has fun doing it.
Comics Comics #4 Dan Nadel, Frank Santoro PictureBox $2.50
($2.95 list)
Comicscomics4
Read more and comment... 		It'a about time!  The latest issue of the magazine of the comics cogniscenti is now in stock.  This issue's cover feature is the one and only Shaky Kane, whose amazing early 1990s work has been sadly neglected; until now!  Frank Santoro provides a heartfelt appreciation of Shaky's place in the comics universe and follows it up with a revealing interview.  And that's just for starters.  This issue also features:  "The Death of the Comic Book" by Sammy Harkham; An in-depth review of Steve Ditko's late works Avenging Mind and 160 Page Package by Tim Hodler who also reports on Dave Sim's recent dual release of Glamourpuss #1 and Judenhass as well as providing a close reading of Kentaro Miura's Berserk; Brian Chippendale writes on Brian Michael Bendis(!); the second major feature in this issue is on Woody Gelman, the hidden figure behind many of the Topps gum card series such as Mars Attacks, Funny Monsters and many, many others that have faded from memory (he also was instrumental in the creation of Bazooka Joe, threw some work R. Crumb's way when he was just starting out and served as a mentor to  Art Spiegelman); and to cap it all off are full page comics by designer, Mike Reddy and Copacetic fave, Dan Zettwoch (and don't forget, that when we're talking about Comics Comics full page means a whopping old old school 17" x 23"!).  Essential reading.
Cold Heat #5/6 Ben Jones, Frank Santoro PictureBox Cold Heat $18.88
($20.00 list)
OUT OF STOCK!
Coldheat5-6coversmall
Read more and comment... 		It's been well over a year since the last issue of Cold Heat appeared, but we're here to tell you that this is one comic book that was worth the wait!!  It's a 48 page double issue printed in the trademarked Cold Heat two-color process employing magenta and blue.  It's comics at their most adventurous and risk-taking, produced by creators who have the experience, skill and training to get to the other side, and, crucially, to take the reader there along with them -- but you'll have to pay close attention and hold on tight as it's quite a trip!  A key to understanding this work is that its true subject is the relationship between the perception of reality and the representation of reality, between the signifier and the signified; how the representation of reality creates a feedback loop which transforms reality in the process.  And there is a special focus on the relationship between subjectivity and perception; particularly on how emotional and chemically altered states of mind alter the perception of events, which then, in turn, alters their representation, and, finally, is capable of altering their actual outcome as well.  This is a task to which comics are ideally suited and which Frank Santoro has been in the vanguard of exploring.  With this issue he has pushed the furthest yet into this unmapped and only dimly comprehended artistic territory.  Yes, this is one pricey comic book, but the economics of today's comic book market have forced the publisher into a corner and so this edition is being produced in an extremely small quantity for the True Believers.  
Core of Caligula, Episodes 1 - 4 C. F. PictureBox $2.00
($2.00 list)

Read more and comment... 		Here's another "mini comic" that Copacetic regulars have been aware of for quite awhile but that we somehow failed to bring to the attention of readers of this page.  This is an eight-pager with cardstock covers that collects four two-page comics drawn in 2007 & 2008.  Together they form a sketchy, hallucinatory dream narrative that all C. F. fans will find worth their while, and those that are curious to check out his work but aren't yet ready to plunk down for Powr Mastrs might want to take advantage of the low cost entry point this piece represents.
Powr Mastrs C. F. PictureBox $16.00
($18.00 list)
Cf2
Read more and comment... 		FINALLY!  The most asked about sequel of recent memory is here.  Jack Kirby meets Henry Darger in C.F.'s psychedelic saga.  Now, let's all hope the wait won't be as long for #3! 
The Ganzfeld #3 Peter Blegvad PictureBox The Ganzfeld $11.77
($24.95 list)
Ganzfeld3big
Read more and comment... 		The Ganzfeld is a true one-of-a-kind publication and #3 is by far the best issue yet.  It shouldn't really be under the comics listing, but as it is truly uncategorizable, this is as good a spot as any.  The editors once again bring together a unique group of designers, illustrators, cartoonists, and artists in a coherent, strongly designed format. It features a unique collaboration between Rick Moody and Fred Tomaselli; a new picture story by designer Geoff McFetridge, and even an illustrated essay by Alfred Hitchcock. Lengthy comics and picture stories are contributed by an international group, Renée French, Ron Rege, Jr., Blexbolex, Brian Ralph.  The major highlight of the book is Peter Blegvad's contribution:  a highly innovative piece that is a stellar work of genius. Really, it's that good.  No one compares to Blegvad.  He's in a class by himself here.  (If you aren't familiar with Peter Blegvad's work, do yourself a favor and check out The Book of Leviathan.) The Ganzfeld #3 also puts the spotlight on history: profiles include the inventor of the Macy's Parade Balloons; a special 40-page section devoted to the art collective The Hairy Who, and articles on Bruegel and deep space photography. Also: humorous picture stories on color theory, where we go when we die, and the lost genre of blank books. And much more, all bound together and accentuated by impeccable graphic design. 
Travel Yuichi Yokoyama PictureBox $17.77
($19.99 list)
Travelmed
Read more and comment... 		While perhaps not as hotly awaited as PM2, this year's follow-up to last year's New Engineering  (which was the amazing US debut for Japanese manga magician Yokoyama) is, for our money, the sequel of the year.  Anyone wanting to see truly original, ground-breaking comics work need look no further than this unassuming volume.  It may not seem like much sitting there on the shelf, but once you open it up and let its contents pour out as you pore over its pages you will find yourself taken out of your body and travelling to realms of mind over matter, racing at a pace you didn't know you were capable of.  A very strong rhythmic component was already evident in Yokoyama's work in the short pieces collected in New Engineering.  With Travel, a single piece of almost 200 pages, the rhythm has been intensified and become an indefatiguable beat that gives the impression that it might just be the pulse of the world.   Every motion, no matter how mundane -- from the turning of one's head, to the stubbing out of a cigarette -- is rendered with a dynamism and a sense of urgency that focuses the reader's attention in a startling way and serves to bring alive every instant; "never a dull moment," indeed.  You will go back to this book again and again trying to unlock its mysteries.  This work conveys movement through space in time in sequential images that alchemically reflect the manner in which human consciousness is being reformatted by being enveloped in a landscape composed of ever increasing loads of information that must be processed at ever increasing rates of speed.  This is all the more amazing given that this work is text free and entirely imagematic.  It does, however, come equipped with an introduction by Paul Karasik and an appendix featuring commentary by Yokoyama himself.  Recommended!
Cold Heat Print Frank Santoro PictureBox Cold Heat $20.00

OUT OF STOCK!
Coldheatprint
Read more and comment... 		We have in stock a very limited quantity of a signed and numbered Cold Heat print by Frank Santoro (in fact, we have only 2 copies remaining as of 17 November 2008).  This print is standard comic book size -- 7" x 10" -- so it will fit right in with the Cold Heat comics if you  would like to store it away as part of your collection, but we feel confident that you'll be putting this one on your wall.  This is the image here on the right =>; you should know, however, that the colors -- at least on our copies -- are far more vibrant when viewed in person. 
Cold Heat #1-4 (SET) Frank Santoro, Ben Jones PictureBox Cold Heat $9.99
($20.00 list)
OUT OF STOCK!
Coldheat2pg1
Read more and comment... 		COLD HEAT SUPER SPECIAL Set of all four issues of the comic book series (a $20.00 value):  only $9.99!!!
Cold Heat Special #4 Frank Santoro, Jim Rugg PictureBox Cold Heat $2.50
($3.00 list)
Coldheatspec4
Read more and comment... 		This time around we have a 16-page tabloid newspaper comic book filled with further far out fables featuring Cassandra -- aka Castle -- cavorting with chaos.  Santoro and Rugg employ the large (22" x 17", when opened) "canvas" of the tabloid format to excellent effect, creating a feast for the eyes with finely rendered dramatic imagery that ranges from psychedlicized fast food bathroom interiors to landscapes of the rolling hills of (what appears to be) western PA, all in the service of a tale of temporal displacement that demonstrates that the past is still here, all around us, and that travelling through time is a simple matter of opening a door or two.  There may be some side effects, however...
Cold Heat Special #2 Chris Cornwell PictureBox Cold Heat $3.00
($3.00 list)
Coldheat-coversm
Read more and comment... 		Cold Heat Special #2: Chunky Gnars is a digest-sized  issue with cardstock cover that focuses on the music-as-spiritual-salvation aspect of the Cold Heat narrative, and does so with much graphic aplomb.  Cornwell's digest is densely packed with metaphor, analogue and allegory all of which are related to each other and, tangentially at least, to the Cold Heat narrative thus far.  Even if you're not a follwer of the Cold Heat series, you should consider checking this out as it can and does stand on its own merits, as well as providing a window onto one of the most innovative comics works currently being produced.
Cold Heat Special #1 John Vermilyea, Frank Santoro PictureBox Cold Heat $2.50
($3.00 list)

Read more and comment... 		Upon learning that the Cold Heat comic book series was going to be transformed into a stand-alone graphic novel to be released in late 2008 (at the earliest) and as a result faced with the potential for a year long drought for Cold Heat fans after their being acculturated to a regular release schedule, CH creator Frank Santoro commisioned several ancilliary Cold Heat books to tide readers over while he toils away on the core text.  The first  Special is an 11" x 14" newspaper, with artists Santoro and Vermilyea taking full  advantage of the grand page sizes to present an action-packed adventure that doubles as a sweeping simile.
Cold Heat #3 Ben Jones, Frank Santoro PictureBox Cold Heat $3.00
($5.00 list)
Coldheat3
Read more and comment... 		The plot thickens, the mystery deepens, the pace is picked up and no holds are barred in this, the third issue of the most innovative comic book series in America.  While other comic books tout their "new" plot twists and "new" characters and "new" concepts, the comics they produce are, formally, all the same, maintaining the tried and tired industry status quo.  Cold Heat is authentically different.  Creators, BJ and Santoro understand the conventions under girding the standard comic book format and deftly undercut them, subverting the implicit conservatism of these conventions by exogamously marrying  them to an entirely different, diverse and far ranging array of techniques, tropes and teleologies.  Fauvism, cubism, expressionism and pop art rub shoulders with an allusive montage of narrative codes including action/adventure, detective, horror, romance and more.  And that's just what's going on beneath the surface.  What you see, starting with the startlingly disorienting and surpassingly original cover image, is a powerful story indicting the wrongs of today that is powered by some of the most visionary artwork around.  Delicate yet defiant and densely packed, Cold Heat #3 is a one of a kind comic book.
Cold Heat #2 Ben Jones, Frank Santoro PictureBox Cold Heat $3.00
($5.00 list)
Coldheat2big
Read more and comment... 		Picking up where the first issue left off, Cold Heat #2 revs it up a few notches and takes us on a whirlwind ride through the dis-united states of the disturbed American psyche.  Series artist, Frank Santoro once again refuses to play it safe.  This time around he pulls out all the stops and takes the chances that most other artists wouldn't take even if they could.  Leaping into the artistic no man's land between the well established borders of pre-existent genres, Santoro combines the propulsive narratives of mainstream American heroic adventure comics, the exaggerated expressiveness of Japanese manga, and the naivete of self-published autobiographical comics with his own experimental ideas to create a totally unique comics cocktail that will knock you for a loop (You don't have to take our word for it:  Check out this double-page spread).  Cold Heat takes the outside in and then brings the inside out -- demonstrating how our internalization of international affairs creates monsters in our minds that are every bit as dangerous as anything we'll meet on the street -- and by so doing helps us see our place in and find our way through the mess of our world.