Yes, that's right, you heard it here first (well, maybe not...): Jeffrey Brown has "sold out." This book is published by mainstream, coffee-table-book publisher, Chronicle Books and will soon be piled up in stacks on tables at B & N and Borders coast to coast... at least, that's the theory. The reality is that CGOoaBaOO is a square-format, embossed hardcover containing 100+ pages of feline fun that is a thoroughly enjoyable read.Brown reveals a clear debt to Kochalka here, as Misty seems a pen-and-ink descendant of American-Elf-supporting-cast-member, Spandy, but he has gone more than a step further with these strips, and established the territory covered as his own.Almost all the pages are produced in a uniform 9-panel grid that works quite well in capturing the rhythms of the domestic cat in its natural environment.This work will be appreciated not only by Mr. Brown's pre-existent fan base, but stands a very good chance of -- dare we say it -- "crossing over" and appealing to the great unwashed masses of non-comics readers -- at least those among them who are "cat people," which is a fairly significant number -- out there... which is, obviously, the hope of the publishers and, one can only assume, the author as well.If you're a "cat person" or ever have need of an appropriate, suitable-for-all-ages gift for someone who is, you are hereby advised to take a look at a Cat Getting Out of a Bag.

Speaking of top notch artists, this contemporary master of line, form and -- especially -- color, who is best known here at Copacetic for his swell comics like The Clouds Above and Uptight, now has a nifty collection of thirty original, full-color, heavy-duty (they're printed on super-weight cardstock) postcards nestled on our shelves.  At the Copacetic price listed below the price works out to a mere 30¢ a piece for these little gems.  Send 'em to friends, hang 'em on the wall, put 'em in a frame -- you can do it all.

Written and drawn – and designed – by the Italian artist, Igort (translated into English by Jamie RIchards) and printed in Italy, Japanese Notebooks is a sumptuous visual feast.  It is also, of course, much more.  It is:  an investigation of the personal forces that drive artists to create in general and to pursue the particular paths they do; an exploration of how their imaginations come to be possessed by specific images; a memoir of one particular artist's journey; and much else.  Igort is one of the most accomplished comics makers currently working, and Japanese Notebooks is likely his most personal work yet, one that is apt to hold a particular appeal to other comics makers, as these two testimonials attest:  

"As a graphic novelist, I obviously can't get enough of books about what it feels like to be a cartoonist, and this is a high point in that pantheon.  Igort's memoir is a rich, complicated meditation on art, cultural infatuation and the seen versus the remembered.  All told in a collage of words, images, diagrams, photographs, history, ideas, feelings – and most surprisingly – of conflict."  – Chris Ware

"With evident enthusiasm, Japanese Notebooks describes an artist's journey to Japan, from Igort's arrival in 1991 with the preconceptions of an outsider to his discoveries both artistic and personal over many return encounters." – David Mazzucchelli

This is a nicely produced oversize survey by the grand dame of women's comics, Trina Robbins.   It's jam packed with full color illustrations, and covers the history of women and comics -- as characters in as well as creators of -- from the 1940s through the 1990s.   This book makes for a nice gift as it is a great introduction for someone who is only casually aware of the relationship betwen women and comics but would like to learn more.  We've had this book in stock since it's initial publication.