Here's a great new anthology published by 9th Art Press that features a whoppin' three dozen tales each focusing on a unique subculture.  It should come as no surprise that our civilization's growing trend towards ever-increasing specialization is accompanied by a parallel trend of ever-increasing social compartmentalization.  Aided and abetted – and in some cases entirely enabled – by all things internet, most notably, of course, the fertile soil of social media, subcultures are sprouting and thriving as never before.  This is not an unalloyed good, as some subcultures are possessed of varying degrees of toxicity, such as child porn devotees and violent extremists of all stripes up to and including "terrorists."  Yet, generally speaking, the phenomenon of subcultures is creating a new and vibrant ecosystem of human potential that will, in the long run, surely form the component bases for a spawning ground for the evolving of new and progressively adaptive ways of being that will assist humans in their braving of the new world they are in the midst of creating.  The SubCultures delved into in this anthology range from the relatively erudite circles of Esperanto speakers and ham radio operators to the freaky worlds of BIg foot enthusiasts and goth fetishists, but most revolve around varying permutations of pop culture, the last and certainly not least of which is that of the small press comics subculture itself, of which this volume is a prime example.  This is an absorbing and intriguing anthology, and there is plenty to ponder while traversing the subcultural terrain mapped out in this volume's 200+ pages by 37 comics creators including Sam Alden, Box Brown, Andrew Greenstone, Dan Mazur, Hazel Newlevant, Liz Prince, Stevie Wilson and many other talented cartoonists. Recommended!

Here's the full contributor list:  Sam Alden E.J. Barnes Cara Bean Bonesteel Melinda Tracy Boyce Box Brown Matthew Crehan Ben Doane Alizee De Pin Rachel Dukes Glynnis Fawkes Jillian Fleck Holly Foltz Maggie Glass Andrew Greenstone Nick Johansen Jay Kennedy Rob Kirby Jesse Lonergan MariNaomi Dan Mazur Anna Mudd Hazel Newlevant Sigit Nugroho Ion O'Clast Dave Ortega Maria Photinakis Liz Prince Ansis Purins Rob Queen Alex Robinson Michael Scully Daryl Seitchik Whit Taylor Nick Thorkelson Mister V Noah Van Sciver Aaron Whitaker Kriota Willberg Stevie Wilson Li-Or Zaltzman Courtney Zell

The roles of mother, daughter, spouse, student of ancient Greece, world traveller, archeological illustrator and more intermingle here, in the 270 pages of Persephone's Garden, Glynnis Fawkes's most substantial – and successful – work to date.  Taken together, they provide a well rounded portrait of a life well lived.  The comics that fill these pages encompass a wide variety of forms: anecdote, travelogue, diary, short story, sketch, illustration, illustrated list, experimental, project notes and more.  Each of these forms employ a distinct stylistic approach to their respective subject.  Sharp thin pen lines here, rounded full brush strokes there.  Most pieces employ a limited color palette of one, two or three colors plus black or sepia line, but full color makes an occasional appearance, as well.   Irony and satire mix it up with earnest and heartfelt observations, and by doing so demonstrate that there is no one right way to approach living, but that every day – every moment – demands attention, must be measured and navigated, and presents its own unique opportunity for creative response.  Glynnis Fawkes has, here in the pages of Persphone's Garden, made the most of these opportunities to create a series of engaging comics that, taken together, make for a thesis statement endorsing an immersive, fully engaged approach to contemporary life.  Here, the saying, "the proof is in the pudding," has been replaced by, "the proof is in the comics."

Here is a collection of nineteen tales of coming to (North) America; each unique, yet all connected by the hardships that everyone of these immigrants underwent.  All of the stories are part of a collaborative project joining each Central American tale teller with a New England cartoonist who transformed the oral story to a visual one.  The stories are quite affecting.

In addition, there are multiple essays that serve to introduce, explicate and contextualize the stories, as well as presenting the concept of ethnographic cartooning, and so bring the reader closer to the material.  In the process it also provides a look at Vermont Dairy Farming and it's central role in the state.  In short: there's a lot going on here in the 240 pages of El Viaje Más Caro / The Most Costly Journey.

FEATURED ARTISTS: Tillie Walden / Marek Bennett / Kevin Kite / Iona Fox / Kane Lynch / Teppi Zuppo / John Carvajal / Michael Tonn / Angela Boyle / Rick Veitch / Glynnis Fawkes / Greg Giordano / Ezra Veitch / Shashwat Mishra / Michelle Sayles

EDITED BY: Marek Bennett, Julia Grand Doucet, Andy Kolovos, & Teresa Mares
FOREWORD: poet Julia Alvarez
PREFACE: nurse Julia Grand Doucet
INTRODUCTION: cartoonist Stephen R. Bissette
AFTERWORD: Teresa Mares & Andy Kolovos

And here's Vermont's most notable cartoonist on El Viaje Mas Caro:

“It’s hard to imagine other people’s lives. It’s harder still when those lives are hidden from public view. But in this book, the unimaginably difficult experiences of migrant and immigrant farmworkers are made vividly accessible. Through their own words, and the simple, direct drawings of their cartoonist collaborators, we see how they got here, what they’ve left behind, and what their long, long days are like. The original goal of this project was to give their subjects a voice, but every North American should read this book in order to understand the disturbing degree to which we all depend on the self-sacrifice of these workers. El Viaje Mas Caro is a profound act of witness.” – Alison Bechdel

Who knew reading history could be so enjoyable?  Glynnis Fawkes has been hard at work for quite some time now adapting Eric H. Cline's widely lauded accounting of the collapse of Bronze Age civilization into this massive, beautiful  – and fun! – work of comics , a hefty, nicely printed, French-flapped softcover that runs for 256, full color, 7" x 10" pages;.

See what we're talking about by checking out the nice publisher preview HERE (for greater appreciation of the artistry, click a few times on the  +  in the right margin to enlarge the image)

Here's what the publisher, Princeton University Press has to say:

"Eric Cline’s 1177 B.C. tells the story of one of history’s greatest mysteries: what caused the ancient civilizations of the Aegean and Eastern Mediterranean to collapse more than three thousand years ago, bringing the Late Bronze Age to an abrupt end? In this vivid and captivating full-color graphic adaptation of the landmark book, author-illustrator Glynnis Fawkes invites us to follow two young friends living in the aftermath of the cataclysm as they unravel why it happened—and reveal important lessons for today’s interconnected and vulnerable world.

Pel, a member of the marauding Sea Peoples, and Shesha, an Egyptian scribe, visit the kingdoms of the Minoans, Mycenaeans, Hittites, Canaanites, Assyrians, and Egyptians to explore the calamities that brought them down. This graphic history depicts the people, events, art, architecture, and lands that Pel and Shesha encounter. We witness the Sea Peoples’ battles on land and sea, earthquakes on the Greek mainland, droughts and famine in Anatolia, invasions in north Syria, and possible rebellions in Canaan. Along the way, we also learn about the assassination of a Hittite prince traveling to marry an Egyptian queen, the sinking of a merchant ship laden with international goods, and the return of a pair of sandals to Crete by the Babylonian king Hammurabi.

An entertaining adventure story, this dazzling comic is also historically accurate and enlightening, inviting readers of all ages to think about the surprising factors and theories that explain why societies, whether ancient or modern, die or survive when struck by catastrophes."

Want to read some advance praise?  Here goes!

“The collapse of Bronze Age civilization is one of the most crucial and complex events in human history. By guiding us through the maze of theories with intellectual clout and charming, humorous graphic art, Cline and Fawkes have pioneered a dazzling new way of bringing archaeology and ancient history to readers of all ages.”—Edith Hall, author of Aristotle’s Way: How Ancient Wisdom Can Change Your Life

“This funny, beautiful book is a tour de force of visual storytelling. Glynnis Fawkes’s stunning graphic rendition of 1177 B.C. amplifies Eric Cline’s landmark work without simplifying the historical questions that remain. From the mysterious Sea Peoples to garrulous hippos, the Late Bronze Age comes alive on the page.”—Josephine Quinn, author of How the World Made the West: A 4,000-Year History

"1177 B.C.: A Graphic History of the Year Civilization Collapsed uses the graphic novel format in ingeniously inventive ways to present the complicated history of the end of the Bronze Age. . . . An astonishing amount of information is packed into these pages, drawing on a vast range of sources, from inscriptions to archeological evidence to literature, including the Iliad and the Bible. . . . Together, the words and pictures show how history is made."—Marissa Moss, New York Journal of Books