WISH I WAS THERE :: BCGF!
This weekend I won't, sadly, be at the Brooklyn Comics + Graphics Festival in crisp, cold New York City. But! A bunch of awesome people will, and they'll be selling things that I want, and that you should maybe want to. I am going to tell you about them!
First off, Koyama Press will be there with some kind of mega-table of uber-talent. My main man Matt Forsythe is debuting his new Comics Class book, a collection of semi-true strips that spun out of him teaching comics to kids. I *may* have managed to read an advance copy of this book, and just *might* have been floored by it, like I am by everything Matt does. He's "got it" for sure. The drawing style he's working in is in the book is really crazy, too--like an amalgam of 8 different kinds of drawing, but still rough and energetic and communicative. I love it!
Also new at the Koyama Uber-Tableau are two new books from Michael Deforge, Open Country #2 and Kid Mafia #1. I'm too poor to be a "buy-everything" kind of comics fan anymore, but I think I might be a "buy-everything" Deforge fan. It's been a long time since someone came along doing work in a new voice, which is something I think comics needs a lot more of. Oh, and Maurice Vellekoop is debuting a new comic called Gloria Badcock. I got to see that one too and whoa nellie! If you are super homophobic I suggest you pick it up and read it right away. Have a good time getting what you deserve, sucka! Also new will be Jeremy Kai's book of photography, plus Anne will have tons of books and minis from other creators as well.
My other main man Chris Pitzer is going to be there too, and this is what you should buy from him: Pope Hats Pope Hats Pope Hats. I've had this book since SPX but haven't read it yet--not because I don't want to, but because I know it's going to be so good that I want it to be special, I want to sit down and give it the respect it deserves. Admittedly, this is problematic thinking--I bought Kramer's Ergot #7 when it came out, and still haven't taken the shrinkwrapping off of it.
But, like Michael Deforge, Ethan Rilly is a cartoonist who has a very distinct, accomplished, fluid visual style which is so good that it overshadows his more subtle--and to me, even better--gifts, which is writing. Deforge and Rilly are both people who write comics, not just write words to go with pictures. They're writing in comics. I wonder if it's a Canadian thing? Seth and Chester Brown also do this--it's impossible to pull apart the words and images without changing both. No one could write a Seth comic for him to draw, you know?
Anyway, I got off the subject, which is: buy Pope Hats #2 from Pitzer, either from him straight-up in Brooklyn, or via the Miracle of the Information Superhighway.
Let's see, what else? Lamar Abrams is debuting a new Ferzan book (his series of minis featuring sexy girls farting, yes farting). Ryan Cecil Smith will supposedly be debuting some new SF books, possibly at the Koyama table? Ryan won't be there, so presumably there'll be some kind of Ryan-automaton selling for him. He's learning a lot in Japan! Man, SF blew me AWAY, I've been wanting to write about it but I haven't had time. But seriously, just go to his site right now and buy SF 1 and the Supplementary File.
Oh and also the new Studygroup Magazine! This looks amazing--I'm really into this recent renaissance in limited anthologies with special focuses. Lots of really gorgeous work in this one too, I bet. Just David King and Michael Deforge alone are enough for me, but Eleanor Davis covers and the rest of that sweet list, ooh la la!
Okay that's enough talking, I have drawing to do. But if you're around New York, you should totally go to this! I went last year and it was one of the best comics show experiences I ever had. And if you can't go, do yourself a favor and hunt down some of these guys' work and get educated. So much good stuff coming out lately!
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