Comics Journal (1977) comic books 2007-2009

The Magazine of Comics News and Criticism. Hey kids, sex and violence! Gary Groth interviews Frank Thorne, whose long and varied career as an artist has led from titles such as Tomahawk and Mighty Samson to the steamiest version of Red Sonja ever, as well as the creation of his own salacious barbarian babe, Ghita. Our comics section features "All True Crime Stories" from Comics Code inspiration Crime Does Not Pay, the "magazine with the widest range of appeal," as Charles Biro and Bob Wood proclaimed on the cover. Murdered corpses, heaving bosoms, mystery dates -- what more can you ask for? How about an interview with self-publisher Carla Speed McNeil, creator of the "aboriginal sci-fi" series Finder? Also: a tribute to Playboy cartoon editor Michelle Urry. And: comics historian Patrick Rosenkranz on Rand Holmes. Plus: reviews, letters and news. Cover by Frank Thorne. 200 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $9.95.

February 2007. Original cover price: $9.95. Year in Review issue - the best comics of 2006. Interview with Yoshihiro Tatsumi; interview with Melinda Gebbie (Lost Girls); interviews with Lauren Weinstein, Miriam Katin, Megan Kelso, Renee French, Kim Deitch & Gilbert Hernandez. Cover by Tatsumi. Cover price $9.95.

The Magazine of Comics News and Criticism. Our headliner this issue is Alison Bechdel, whose memoir Fun Home was one of the most acclaimed graphic novels of 2006. She delves into life, death, her work, and the banning of her book in Missouri with interviewer Lyn Emmeri. Plus: an interview with Golden Age cartoonist Fred Guardineer, who is perhaps best known for his work on comics such as Zatura, The Durango Kid, Detective Comics, and Crime Does Not Pay. The full-color comics section features Get Lost, The Comic Designed to Send You, and future Spider-Man team Ross Andru and Mike Esposito's post-Kurtzman humor comic of the 1950's. Also: an ample array of comics history, analysis and criticism. PC/PB&W. Cover price $9.95.

The Magazine of Comics News and Criticism. In this issue: L'Association co-founder and prolific cartoonist Lewis Trondheim talks about the wry sword-and-sorcery mega-epic Donjon, his autobio comics, McConey and his "retirement." Plus: PictureBox publisher Dan Nadel queries art-comics (Wonderfool World) creator and fine artist David Sandlin on his pieces in Raw, as well as the eerie Swamp Preacher, which ties into the larger world of his Blab! anthology-and-storybook work. Our color comics section turns up a 1949 comics adaptation of John Buchan's The 39 Steps by Dick Davis and Jim Lavery. Also: profound columns, sharp reviews and a whole lot more by the comics medium's smartest critics and historians. Cover by Lewis Trondheim. PC/PB&W. Cover price $9.95.

The Magazine of Comics News and Criticism. Marvel Monsters and Monkey Kings make mayhem in this issue! Gary Groth interviews cartoonist Roger Langridge, creator of a rogues gallery of characters such as Fred the Clown, Art d'Ecco, and Knuckles the Malevolent Nun. The New Zealand native will also talk about his collaborative work, such as his recent turn as the artist for Marvel's Fin Fang Foom. Also interviewed is Xeric-winner Gene Yang, whose young-adult graphic novel, American Born Chinese, was recently nominated for a National Book Award. Plus: from the turn of the 19th century, Frederick Burr Opper's comic strip Happy Hooligan -- one of the inspirations for Chaplin's Little Tramp -- is examined, complete with approximately 30 Sunday strips reproduced in full-color! Cover by Roger Langridge. PC/PB&W. Cover price $11.95.

The Magazine of Comics News and Criticism. This issue, Superman Confidential creator Darwyn Cooke confides about his early career in animation, collaborating on Catwoman, re-pioneering DC's superhero mythology in The New Frontier, and providing his current takes on Batman, The Spirit, and Superman. Plus: Ernie Colon, the artist for the best-selling The 9/11 Report: a Graphic Adaptation, talks about representing one of the defining traumas of our age, as well as working on Casper the Friendly Ghost, Magnus: Robot Fighter, Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld, and his current weekly comic strip, SpyCat. Also: the full-color comics section captures Marvel mainstay John Buscema's weird-crime comics from Wanted Comics, circa 1950. And: an interview with alt cartoonist Keith Knight. Cover by Darwyn Cooke. PC/PB&W. Cover price $11.95.

The Magazine of Comics News and Criticism. This issue, comics critic and historian Paul Gravett interviews British cartoonist Posy Simmonds. Best known for her weekly strips for The Guardian (such as "The Silent Three of St. Botolph's") and her reworking of Madame Bovary and Far from the Madding Crowd (Gemma Bovary and Tamara Drewe, respectively), the pair also discuss other aspects of her wide-ranging career, such as her children's books and her strip "Literary Life." Also: a career-spanning interview with Gail Simone, who recently left her long and well-received run on the super-heroine team book Birds of Prey to tackle the newly revamped Wonder Woman title. She will also talk about her work on series such as Villains United, Superman, Welcome to Tranquility, and Killer Princesses, and her "women in refrigerators" website. Plus: insightful comics reviews and columns, and a comics section featuring Otto Soglow's The Ambassador. Cover by Posy Simmonds. PC/PB&W. Cover price $11.95.

The Magazine of Comics News and Criticism. Headlining this issue is The Comics Journal's definitive interview with indie-star cartoonist Jeffrey Brown, creator of the autobiographical works Clumsy and Unlikely, the parodies Bighead and The Incredible Change-Bots, and the catfest Cat Getting Out of a Bag. Novelist and comics writer Greg Rucka discusses his soon-to-be-filmed graphic novel Whiteout, his superspy series Queen & Country and his work on Spider-Man, Wolverine, Batman, and Wonder Woman. Also: an interview with Whiteout artist Steve Lieber. Plus: 40 pages of unearthed comics pages from George Herriman's non-Krazy Kat strips, including Baron Moocher and Dirty Duck inspiration Gooseberry Sprig. Cover by Jeffrey Brown. PC/PB&W. Cover price $11.95.

NOTE: Manufacturer's non-permanent "peel-off" retail sticker on front cover may or may not still be present. Interview with Rutu Modan (Exit Wounds); interviews with 'best of the year cartoonists' Paul Karasik, Bryan Talbot (Alice in Sunderland), Nick Bertozzi (The Salon), Peter Kuper (Stop Forgetting to Remember) and Cathy Malkasian (Percy Gloom); June Tarpe Mills' strip Miss Fury in the comics section; an appreciation of Mills by Trina Robbins. Cover by Fletcher Hanks. Cover price $11.95.

April 2008. Original cover price: $11.95. NOTE: Manufacturer's non-permanent "peel-off" retail sticker on front cover may or may not still be present. Interview with Robert Kirkman (Battle Pope, The Walking Dead, Marvel Zombies); interview with Shaun Tan (The Arrival); 100 strips from Ed Wheelan's Minute Movies in the comics section. Cover by Ryan Ottley. Cover price $11.95.

NOTE: Manufacturer's non-permanent "peel-off" retail sticker on front cover may or may not still be present. Who speaks for Sparky? Charles M. Schulz's son Monte and a roundtable of Peanuts experts debate the controversial new biography 'Schulz and Peanuts'; Matt Madden on his new comics how-to book and '99 Exercises in Style'; a preview of the Joe Kubert bio 'Man of Rock'; 'The Wall of Flesh' and other '50s horror comics by Bob Powell. Cover price $11.99.

NOTE: Manufacturer's non-permanent "peel-off" retail sticker on front cover may or may not still be present. Tim Sale interview; Josh Simmons on House, Jessica Farm and Life in a Sex Circus; Gary Groth on Ralph Steadman on Hunter S. Thompson; a comics gallery by Flintstones co-creator Dan Gordon; Steve Gerber and Dave Stevens tributes; sneak preview of Danica Novgorodoff's Slow Storm. Cover price $11.99.

NOTE: Manufacturer's non-permanent "peel-off" retail sticker on front cover may or may not still be present. The Magazine of Comics News and Criticism. This issue, Gary Groth interviews father and son cartoonists Gene and Kim Deitch. Academy Award-winning Gene Deitch, whose wide-ranging career has spanned over 60 years, talks about doing illustrations for The Record Changer, directing cartoons such as Munro and Krazy Kat, and creating his comic strip Terr'ble Thompson. Underground comics pioneer Kim Deitch touches on his father's influence, reminisces about the New York-based scene and outlines the evolution of Waldo the Cat. Plus: interviews with even more Deitches: artist Simon and writer Seth! Also: the comics gallery presents an historical essay and highlights from the turn-of-the-19th-century work of Puck cartoonist, F.M. Howarth. Cover by Kim Deitch. 240 pages, B&W. Cover price $11.99.

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NOTE: Manufacturer's non-permanent "peel-off" retail sticker on front cover may or may not still be present. The Magazine of Comics News and Criticism. This issue, TCJ interviews Zap artist S. Clay Wilson, best known for his panoramas of sex and violence involving lesbian bikers, zombie pirates and a Checkered Demon. Plus: Alex Robinson, the Harvey and Eisner-winning cartoonist, discusses his graphic novels Box Office Poison, Tricked, and Too Cool to Be Forgotten. Also: a special back-to-school section features a gallery of undiscovered potential comics masterpieces by students from the Center for Cartoon Studies. And: a cartoon chat with Joe Matt of Peep Show. Plus: a review of Yuichi Yokoyama's Travel. Cover by S. Clay Wilson. 208 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $11.99.

NOTE: Manufacturer's non-permanent "peel-off" retail sticker on front cover may or may not still be present. The Magazine of Comics News and Criticism. Art speaks louder than words when the Journal interviews two cartoonists who have had success with "silence." Norwegian Jason, who populates comics such as Hey, Wait..., The Left Bank Gang and I Killed Adolf Hitler with deadpan anthropomorphic animals, muses on the thin line between tragedy and laughter and why B-movie creations continue to resonate with the 21st century public. Lio comic-strip cartoonist Mark Tatulli talks to the Journal about bringing kids and ghouls together on the Funny Pages in Lio, one of the most innovative and entertaining comics strips in recent decades. Plus: Christmas cards from Chris Ware, Dan Clowes, the Hernandez Brothers, Seth, Bill Griffith, Peter Bagge and others. And: a color comics gallery goes back to the early days of one of the world's longest-running comic strips: Billy DeBeck's Snuffy Smith precursor, Take Barney Google, F'rinstance, spanning 1919 to 1921. Cover by Jason. 208 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $11.99.

NOTE: Manufacturer's non-permanent "peel-off" retail sticker on front cover may or may not still be present. The Magazine of Comics News and Criticism. This issue, Brian K. Vaughan, writer of Y: The Last Man, takes readers behind the scenes of the upcoming Y film, TV's Lost, his award-winning comic Pride of Baghdad and the politics that infuse his WildStorm series Ex Machina, as well as his upcoming comics projects. Plus: Paul Karasik chats with Italian cartoonist Gipi about his Santa Maria video and animation studio, They Found the Car, Garage Band and Notes for a War Story. Also: John Kerschbaum of The Wiggly Reader talks brutality; Noah Van Sciver conducts a cartoon interview with Liz Prince; and should superheroes come out of the closet? Plus: Reviews of Zot!, Kirby: King of Comics, Chester Gould's biography, Terry Moore's Echo, The Herbie Archives, and the Independents documentary. Cover by Niko Henrichon. 208 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $11.99.

NOTE: Manufacturer's non-permanent "peel-off" retail sticker on front cover may or may not still be present. Interviews with Lynda Barry, Frank Quietly, Dash Shaw, David Hajdu and Mike Luckovich. Also includes a first look at Carol Tyler's new project You'll Never Know Book 1: "A Good and Decent Man". Cover price $11.99.

NOTE: Manufacturer's non-permanent "peel-off" retail sticker on front cover may or may not still be present. The Magazine of Comics News and Criticism. This issue contains a career-spanning interview with Mort Walker, the creator of the long-running comic strips Beetle Bailey and Hi and Lois, as he talks about a half-century in the funny pages. Plus: French artist Emmanuel Guibert on documenting Alan's War. Also: A gallery of art by pioneering 17th century caricaturist Thomas Rowlandson and a biographical essay by acclaimed Masses cartoonist Art Young. And: Noah Van Sciver conducts a cartoon interview with Frank Stack. Plus: reviews, comics, letters and news. Cover by Mort Walker. 208 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $11.99.

NOTE: Manufacturer's non-permanent "peel-off" retail sticker on front cover may or may not still be present. The Magazine of Comics News and Criticism. This issue, the multiple Eisner Award-winning Brazilian twins Gabriel Bá and Fábio Moon tell us about working together on graphic novels such as DeTales and Ursula and the anthology 5, as well as collaborating with My Chemical Romance's Gerard Way on Umbrella Academy, Joss Whedon on Sugarshock and Matt Fraction on Casanova. Plus: Perry Bible Fellowship creator Nicholas Gurewitch gives us the scoop on his BBC television pilot based on the strip, why he semi-retired the comic after its phenomenal success on the Web and in alt-weeklies and collections, and what it's like to achieve that level of fame by the age of 25. Also: Brutally honest Thriller artist Trevor Von Eeden on his professional and romantic struggles; Percy Crosby's Skippy rediscovered; Jiro Taniguchi's A Distant Neighborhood previewed; and Noah Van Sciver conducts a cartoon interview with Peter Bagge. Plus: reviews, comics, letters and news. Cover by Fábio Moon & Gabriel Bá. 208 pages, PC/PB&W. Cover price $11.99.

NOTE: Manufacturer's non-permanent "peel-off" retail sticker on front cover may or may not still be present. The Magazine of Comics News and Criticism. In this issue: How Michel Choquette (Almost) Assembled the Most Stupendous Comic Book in the World - The Pirate and the Mouse author Bob Levin tracks down the El Dorado of comics, a lost collection of unpublished strips by 190 of the world's most important cartoonists, including Will Eisner, Vaughn Bode, Jack Kirby, Harvey Kurtzman, Art Spiegelman, Arnold Roth, Bill Griffith, Ralph Steadman, Don Martin, Gahan Wilson, Jeff Jones, Guido Crepax -- even William Burroughs, Tom Wolfe and Frank Zappa! The comics were assembled in the 1970's by Michel Choquette (creator with Neal Adams of National Lampoon's Son o' God comics) for a book called Someday Funnies, which never saw print. Levin and Choquette reveal for the first time the whole catastrophic story of what might have been the comics anthology of the century. Plus: an Interview with Josh Cotter; Myron Waldman's Eve in the comics section; and Noah Van Sciver conducts a cartoon interview with John Porcellino. Also: reviews, columns, letters and news. PC/PB&W. Cover price $11.95.

Anniversary issue has great cartoonists interviewing each other: Art Spiegelman and Kevin Huizenga. Zak Sally and Jaime Hernandez. Dash Shaw and David Mazzucchelli. Ted Rall and Matt Bors. Jim Borgman and Keith Knight. Ho Che Anderson and Howard Chaykin. Also, Frank Quitely, Dave Gibbons, Sammy Harkham, Denny O'Neil, Matt Fraction, Stan Sakai, and Alison Bechdel. Noah Van Sciver conducts a cartoon interview with Mr. Fantagraphics himself, Gary Groth. 288 pages, PC/PB&W Cover price $14.99.