Best of
Comix

2004

The Complete Peanuts, Vol. 1: 1950-1952


Charles M. Schulz - 2004
    (Among other things, three major cast members—Schroeder, Lucy, and Linus—initially show up as infants and only "grow" into their final "mature" selves as the months go by. Even Snoopy debuts as a puppy!) Thus The Complete Peanuts offers a unique chance to see a master of the art form refine his skills and solidify his universe, day by day, week by week, month by month.This volume is rounded out with Garrison Keillor's introduction, a biographical essay by David Michaelis (Schulz and Peanuts) and an in-depth interview with Schulz conducted in 1987 by Gary Groth and Rick Marschall, all wrapped in a gorgeous design by award-winning cartoonist Seth.

Locas


Jaime Hernández - 2004
    Created over 15 years from 1981-96 in the pages of the legendary comic Love and Rockets and collected here in a giant deluxe hardcover.One of the most humane, graceful and imaginatively inexhaustible artists in American popular culture, Jaime Hernandez has created in Locas one of the great American novels of the last 30 years, graphic or otherwise. Created over 15 years from 1981 to 1996 in the pages of the legendary comic book series Love and Rockets, Locas tells the story of Maggie Chascarrillo, a bisexual, Mexican-American woman attempting to define herself in a community rife with class, race and gender issues.Maggie's story begins in the early-1980s Southern California rock scene, when it was shifting from the excesses of the 1970s to the gritty basics of punk and new wave. Hardcore punk rock came to the fore, and the teenaged Maggie finds herself drawn to the anarchy, energy and diversity of the scene, which in Jaime's hands becomes a very real, habitable place populated with authentic human beings rather than stereotypes. She quickly befriends Hopey Glass, a feisty anti-authoritarian punkette who quickly becomes Maggie's on-again, off-again lover and a constant presence in her life throughout the book.As the New York Times Book Review has described it, "These stories have all the visual smarts of film and the narrative smarts of literature....Hernandez specializes in psychological detail; we see both text and subtext immediately....What better than to open a book that shows there is more going on than we dream of in our workaday philosophies?"

Bucky Katt's Big Book of Fun: A Get Fuzzy Treasury


Darby Conley - 2004
    Some are taken by the visual element...Then there's the people who want it to be funny...Darby gets both." --Scott Adams, creator of DilbertGet Fuzzy collections are flying off the shelves. And Bucky Katt's Big Book of Fun, the second full-color treasury of the outrageous antics of Bucky, Satchel, and Rob, is sure to attract more readers of the strip voted Best Comic Strip of 2002 by the National Cartoonists Society.Behold the world of Get Fuzzy. Meet Bucky Katt, the Siamese smart-ass who coexists under protest with Satchel Pooch, the sweet-tempered shar-pei/Lab mix, and Rob Wilco, the human who keeps the refrigerator stocked.Each day in newspapers around the world readers visit the place where cats, dogs, and humans meet and learn a little bit more about each other-not necessarily by choice. By turns hilarious, poignant, and even human, Get Fuzzy is the smartest, funniest comic strip in newspapers today.

The Best of Wolverine, Vol. 1


Chris Claremont - 2004
    In Windsor-Smith's WEAPON X, Wolverine is subjected to a series of sadistic medical experiments designed to create the perfect soldier long before his days as an X-Man. Also collecting INCREDIBLE HULK #181, UNCANNY X-MEN #205 and CAPTAIN AMERICA ANNUAL #8!

McSweeney's #13


Chris WareArt Spiegelman - 2004
    Contibutors include Daniel Clowes, Gary Panter, Charles Burns, Art Spiegelman, Ben Katchor, Kim Deitch, Adrian Tomine, Joe Sacco, Seth, Joe Matt, Chester Brown, Kaz, and many others.

Krazy and Ignatz, 1931-1932: A Kat Alilt With Song


George Herriman - 2004
    In 2002, Fantagraphics embarked on a publishing plan to reintroduce the greatest strip of the first-half of the 20th Century (the Peanuts of its era) to a public that has largely never seen it: this volume is the fourth in a long-term plan to chronologically reprint strips from the prime of Herriman's career, most of which have not seen print since originally running in newspapers 75 years ago. Each volume is edited by the San Francisco Cartoon Art Museum's Bill Blackbeard, the world's foremost authority on early 20th Century American comic strips, and designed by Jimmy Corrigan author Chris Ware, who may well go down as the best cartoonist of the 21st Century. Krazy & Ignatz 1931-1932 is a hot-baked brickbat of a volume, a dance with nearly two full years of the Sunday Krazy Kat (Herriman did not use color until 1935), snug between multiple pages of Herriman extras, including an extensive essay by series editor Bill Blackbeard on pre-Kat Herriman work (with reproductions from rare "Baron Mooch" and "Gooseberry Sprig" strips, and a rarely-seen 1923 full-page drawing of the Kat done for Circulation magazine), and, best of all, a 30-page sequence of over two straight months' worth of 1931 dailies! Plus a new "Debaffler" page decoding Krazy arcana, and a stunning layout front and back and throughout by the inimitable Chris Ware! Krazy Kat is a love story, focusing on the relationships of its three main characters. Krazy Kat adored Ignatz Mouse. Ignatz Mouse just tolerated Krazy Kat, except for recurrent onsets of targeting tumescence, which found expression in the fast delivery of bricks to Krazy's cranium. Offisa Pup loved Krazy and sought to protect "her" (Herriman always maintained that Krazy was gender-less) by throwing Ignatz in jail. Each of the characters was ignorant of the others' true motivations, and this simple structure allowed Herriman to build entire worlds of meaning into the actions, building thematic depth and sweeping his readers up by the looping verbal rhythms of Krazy & Co.'s unique dialogue.

Krazy and Ignatz, 1933-1934: Necromancy by the Blue Bean Bush


George Herriman - 2004
    Most of these strips have not seen print since originally running in Hearst newspapers over 70 years ago. Each volume is edited by the San Francisco Cartoon Art Museum's Bill Blackbeard. Krazy & Ignatz 1933-1934 will be a hot-baked brickbat of a volume, adance with nearly two full years of the Sunday Krazy Kat (Herriman did not use color until 1935), snug between multiple pages of Herriman extras, not the least of which include an introduction by Blackbeard, a new "Debaffler" page, and a stunning layout front and back and throughout by the inimitable Chris Ware! Krazy Kat is a love story, focusing on the relationships of its three main characters. Krazy Kat adored Ignatz Mouse. Ignatz Mouse just tolerated Krazy Kat, except for recurrent onsets of targeting tumescence, which found expression in the fast delivery of bricks to Krazy's cranium. Offisa Pup loved Krazy and sought to protect "her" (Herriman always maintained that Krazy was gender-less) by throwing Ignatz in jail. Each of the characters was ignorant of the others' true motivations, and this simple structure allowed Herriman to build entire worlds of meaning into the actions, building thematic depth and sweeping his readers up by the looping verbal rhythms of Krazy & Co.'s unique dialogue.

Strangers in Paradise: Pocket Book 1


Terry Moore - 2004
    She's smart, independent and very much in love with her best friend, Francine. Then Katchoo meets David, a gentle but persistent young man who is determined to win Katchoo's heart. The resulting love triangle is a touching comedy of romantic errors until Katchoo's former employer comes looking for her and $850,000 in missing mob money. As her idyllic life begins to fall apart, Katchoo discovers no one can be trusted and that the past she thought she left behind now threatens to destroy her and everything she loves, including Francine.

Absolute Transmetropolitan Vol. 3


Warren Ellis - 2004
    3.The critically acclaimed graphic novel series Transmetropolitan shoves readers' outdated brains into a MRI scanner and rewires their flabby cortexes into screaming processors of truth!Spider Jerusalem gets a whole new take on the world, courtesy of the untreated mental patients spat back onto the street by a collapsing healthcare system. Then Spider Jerusalem starts having blackouts and episodes of mental confusion that are not related to his usual diet of narcotics and whiskey! The story continues as the White House has utilized its emergency powers still in place over the City and introduced martial law! Federal controls are quietly being placed over the media; controls they usually roll over for. And it's all Spider Jerusalem's fault! The government troops enforcing martial law across a spreading area of the City just put a lit match to the social tinderbox. All the tensions of the last two years are going to turn into a fireball, and Spider and his team have nowhere left to run!Collects Transmetropolitan #40-60, completing the series. The collection features a new introduction by writer/co-creator Warren Ellis, new slipcase art by artist/co-creator Darick Robertson and a bonus section with a complete script and pencils for an issue as well as a photo feature on Transmet collectibles.

Judge Dredd: The Apocalypse War


John Wagner - 2004
    But that pales in comparison to the second phase - a co-ordinated nuclear strike which devastates the Block Mania survivors and leaves Mega-City One ripe for invasion... by the treacherous thugs of East-Meg One Now, a beleaguered Dredd and a few survivors must strike back by any means they can find... because if they fail, Mega-City One is doomed forever With art by fan favourites Brian Bolland (Batman), Steve Dillon (Preacher), Carlos Ezquerra (Just a Pilgrim), Mike McMahon (Slaine) and Ron Smith (Transformers), this deluxe hardcover edition is a must for every Judge Dredd and 2000 AD fan

Stray Bullets, Vol. 8


David Lapham - 2004
    This volume collects four complete stories from this groundbreaking series: A notebook, full of despair, plunges a detective into a bizarre kidnapping where the victim is just a lost and forgotten pawn in a story of blackmail and love. A stolen gun gives a best friend a chance to shine, and proves that a happy ending is only determined by where the story ends. A joyous reunion, full of balloons and cake, will signal the end of the salad days for a wealthy socialite unless swift and inhuman action is taken. They say you can't go home again, but the law says differently, and a young girl running from a 12-foot-tall, 800-pound Bazzloomis will be forced back into its salivating maw and be swallowed whole...

The Complete Strangers In Paradise, Volume 3, Part 6


Terry Moore - 2004
    including Katchoo. Will this be the end of a great friendship and a new life for Francine? Will David be there to pick up the pieces for Katchoo? Or will this be a whole new beginning for the SiP gang? This premium hardcover edition also includes the story of David Qin's astonishing past life and how he came to know our girls as well as Freddie's close encounter of the disastrous kind with Katchoo. Strangers in Paradise is the entertaining and poignant look at the relationship of two young women and the twists and turns that life throws at them. Francine and Katchoo are high-school best friends who are reunited when Francine comes back to town after years away from her hometown. David is their new friend entangled in their complicated lives. From creepy ex-boyfriends and insensitive bosses to the reality of AIDS and underworld prostitution, you never know what will come up next - but you can always count on laughing and crying at the same time.

The Devil's Panties, Vol. 1


Jennie Breeden - 2004
    this wasn't quite what Jennie had in mind after graduating with a shiny degree in Sequential Art(though it may have been what was in everyone else's). As life overwhelmed her and her drawing hand withered away, Jennie made a promise to herself to stay in practice by drawing a new comic every single day.This first volume is a compilation of those comics. From dating and clubbing to trying to make it as an artist, follow along as Jennie chronicles her daily struggles, sorrows, joys and WTFs in life.

Why Are You Doing This?


Jason - 2004
    The protagonist, a moody twenty-something wallowing in depression after a breakup with his long-time girlfriend, finds himself drawn into a paranoid's worst nightmare after his best friend is murdered and the blame is pinned on him. With the help of a single mother who spontaneously throws in her lot with him (not to mention her precocious daughter), he sets out to clear his name. Soon new relationships are forged, dark secrets from the past are revealed, and the real killer comes back into the picture... with a vengeance.

Strangers in Paradise: Treasury Edition


Terry Moore - 2004
    Based on the bestselling comic book and graphic novel series, this is the ultimate compendium of Strangers in Paradise, the critically acclaimed story of two ordinary women whose friendship turns to love during one violent summer.Author Terry Moore weaves a fascinating director's cut of the entire series from its quiet beginnings to the terrifying climax, compiling the best of the best from the first sixty-plus issues, adding never-before-seen pages and insightful commentary, and reconstructing the lives of Katchoo (the beautiful young rebel), Francine (the lovable neurotic), and the rest of his cast into a spellbinding story all its own, perfect for newcomers and hardcore fans alike.

Amazing Rain


Sam Brown - 2004
    Like a medieval tapestry of Nathaniel West’s Miss Lonelihearts drawn by Keith Haring on a Wacom tablet, Sam Brown weaves a story within a story, a fable entwined in a narrative of urban disenchantment and pastoral escape.

Modern Toss. Jon Link, Mick Bunnage


Jon Link - 2004
    IF LAUGHTER PERSISTS, THESE EFFECTS COULD BE SYMPTOMATIC OF A DANGEROUSLY HEIGHTENED SENSE OF HUMOR.In your hand is a cartoon book the likes of nothing you've ever read before. Modern Toss has become a phenomenal smash hit in the United Kingdom and only now has it been officially released from the clutches of the British Empire for an American audience to enjoy.Featuring abusive sign writer Mr. Tourette and a load of other poorly adjusted, pointlessly hostile idiots, this hilariously crafted comic has surpassed the cutting edge of the contemporary humor scene. Modern Toss is a bona fide classic that makes a welcome addition to the library of the avant-garde.

The Complete Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers: Volume Two


Gilbert Shelton - 2004
    

Tim Biskup 100 Paintings Book


Tim Biskup - 2004
    The ensuing series, '100 paintings', was immediately popular amongst fans who appreciated the compact size and whimsical content of these mini-masterpieces.

The Beast Trilogy


Enki Bilal - 2004
    In the year 2023, the man called Nike is a memory expert who remembers his every experience with perfect clarity. For Nike, this is more of a curse than it is a blessing, because the pain of his past never fades. Follow Nike as he uses his gift to try to understand his link to two children, orphaned beside him in war-torn Yugoslavia, as well as his violent and chaotic present, where manipulation of the truth remains a powerful tool for governments worldwide. In this world, a man who can remember everything is invaluable to whoever controls him.

The Adventures of Tintin at Sea


Michael Farr - 2004
    The official companion to the major National Maritime Museum exhibition, running from 31 March to 5 September 2004.

Mage, Book One: The Hero Discovered


Matt Wagner - 2004
    Accompanied by a mysterious wizard and a crew of loyal friends, the reluctant hero must discover the courage to accept his true power and defeat the dark powers that threaten reality itself.

Pupshaw and Pushpaw


Jim Woodring - 2004
    Two characters from his well-known comic series, Frank, set out on a fun-filled day of adventure. It is a book with no words, just pictures.

The Mad Bathroom Companion: Gushing Fourth Edition


MAD Magazine - 2004
    The MAD Bathroom Companion--the Gushing Fourth Edition--is flush with classic material written and illustrated by "The Usual Gang of Idiots." After three self-defecating books, many thought we couldn't go any more--but we pushed on This hot new release from MAD will have you laughing so hard you won't be able to hold it in.

Chris Ware


Daniel Raeburn - 2004
    Combining innovative comic book art, hand lettering, and graphic design, Ware’s uniquely appealing work is characterized by ceaseless experimentation with narrative and graphic forms. The publication of his novel Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth in2000 inspired a near avalanche of praise from critics and general readers alike. This book is the first to explore the life and work of Chris Ware. Daniel Raeburn looks closely at Ware’s career, work methods, and artistic innovations. Born in Omaha in 1967, Ware introduced the character Jimmy Corrigan in a full-page strip he began writing for the Chicago tabloid New City. Combining six years’ worth of the strips, Ware created the best-selling novel named after Jimmy that spans an Irish-American family’s life in Chicago from the Civil War to the present. For its experiments in graphic form—including pull-out, three-dimensional inserts—and its non-chronological narrative, the novel earned numerous honors, among them the Guardian First Book Award, presented for the first time to a comic book. For this volume Raeburn interviewed Chris Ware for many hours to make fascinating connections between Jimmy Corrigan’s fictional life and the life of his creator. Raeburn discusses the scope of Ware’s career, including his drawings for New City, the New Yorker, and his own comic book, The Acme Novelty Library. AsRaeburn shows, Ware’s unique art form extends beyond the world of graphic novels into the broader worlds of literature, graphic art, and popular culture, and challenges traditional definitions of all three.

The Snake Pit Book


Ben Snakepit - 2004
    Ben Snakepit has been chronicling his life in three-panel comic strips for the past three and a half years. The material is funny at first, but becomes transcendently more than funny, showcasing repetitive patterns of behavior, common mistakes, the redeeming beauty of small moments and all the life that's in between.

Pojo's Unofficial Total Pokemon 2004


Bill Pojo Gill - 2004
    set, most collectihle cards, killer decks, and strategy articles

Babel Vol. 1


David B. - 2004
    The stunning two-color artwork evokes an extraordinary range of influences, from the boldness of primitive art to the lyricism of Winsor McCay A boy's world is shattered by his brother's epileptic seizures and his growing awareness of turmoil in warring countries. The stunning two-color artwork evokes an extraordinary range of influences, from the boldness of primitive art to the lyricism of Winsor McCay.

Kane Volume 3: Histories


Paul Grist - 2004
    His fellow police officers give Kane a welcome back gift: a couple of bullets with his name on them. Oscar Darke grew up in the streets of New Eden to become the most powerful criminal in the city. But when an attempt is made on Darke's life, Detectives Kane and Felix have to find the would-be killer before the city erupts in violence.

Teen Titans Go!, Volume 2: Heroes on Patrol


J. Torres - 2004
    From the top-rated show on Warner Bros.' Cartoon Network, the newest additions to DC Comics' roster of animated heroes make their debut in two new digest-sized paperbacks Capturing all of the action and fun of the Cartoon Network series, these volumes showcase a multitude of adventures for Robin, Beast Boy, Raven, Cyborg and Starfire as they face some of their greatest foes.

Greenzine


Cristy C. Road - 2004
    This new issue is more of the same with some reflection of Cristy's various homes between Miami and Philadelphia, racism in her communities, the strength of her friends, coming to terms with assault, gender, sexuality, and identity, and much more. The words are powerful, the stories make you feel like anything can be accomplished, and the artwork adds another strong element. Once a true fanzine devoted to Green Day, this zine has now evolved into literary prose devoted to the strengths of our communities.

Tundra, "Freeze Dried Comics."


Chad Carpenter - 2004
    

The Legend of Wild Man Fischer


Dennis P. Eichhorn - 2004
    First serialized in Dennis P. Eichhorn's Real Stuff in the early '90s, this collection, written by Eichhorn and rendered by artist J.R. Williams, also contains an all-new episode illustrated by Holly K. Tuttle, as well as essays by Williams and outsider-music maven, Irwin Chusid, and over a dozen previously unpublished photos of Mr. Fischer.