Oh, Comics! #17
Reviewed by R. Krauss
Oh, Comics! #17
Reviewed by R. Krauss
Edited by Bob Corby
Back Porch Comics, October 2008
80 b&w pages, plus color cover
6" x 9", perfect bound, printed by Ka-Blam
$6.95
Back Porch Comics website: www.backporchcomics.com
Bob Corby is one of the leaders of the small press comics movement. He's the man behind both Back Porch Comics and the Columbus, Ohio-based SPACE convention. The first issue of Oh, Comics premiered in 1988, so the title marked it's impressive 20th anniversary in print last year.
The latest issue of this small press anthology is built around the theme of water. Nearly every contribution was created with some connection to the life-giving substance. The book includes the following comics:
Walkingman Comics: Water Torture by Matt Levin (5 pages)
The Amazing Cynicalman: Clouds by Matt Feazell (1 page)
Ineffables by Craig Bogart and Dara Naraghi (6 pages)
Blink: Rain in the Evening, Rein in Our Mourning by Max Ink (8 pages)
Mushawasing by Pam Bliss (4 pages)
Lizard Ma: H-2-un-oh! by Steven Myers (7 pages)
Four Years Ago by Johathon Riddle (1 page)
R.A.I.N.B.O.W.: Complete Idiots Guiding Natural Disasters by Michael Anthony Carroll (8 pages)
Human Water Requirments by Dan W. Taylor (1 page)
Walkingman Comics: Call it Water by Matt Levin (5 pages)
The Amazing Cynicalman: Overtime by Matt Feazell (1 page)
Snappy & Wappy by Kel Crum (3 pages)
Terrible Swift by Betsy Allen and Ben Smith (4 pages)
Rain by Megan Corby (6 pages)
Bunny Blues/How 2 Overcome by Bob Corby (6 pages)
The book is an excellent sampler of talent from over a dozen of the midwest's small army of small press cartoonists. All of the contributors have their own titles and websites so the book provides a great introduction to their work. Obviously in a collection like this some entries are stronger than others, but I found all of them worthwhile. I particularly enjoyed the comics by Matt Feazell, Max Ink, Pam Bliss, Dan Taylor, and Kel Crum. The variety of ideas, approaches, storytelling, and artwork add up to a great package. Let's hope Oh, Comics will continue for many years to come.
Images shown are copyrighted by the artists.
Take A Look Inside
Reviewer Bio
R. Krauss reviews small press and mini comics on Midnight Fiction, Poopsheet Foundation and Comic Related.
Name: Richard Krauss
email: arkay@midnightfiction.com
Been reading comics: since I started reading Marvel comics in Junior High School.
Review Bio: After several years I discovered titles like Zap and Bijou at a headshop and was seduced by the freedom and variety they offered. When the new-wave comix era sprouted from the seeds of the undergrounds, I quickly joined the ranks of other struggling cartoonists with phenomenally low print runs. After almost a decade of small press comix, I retired and made a solemn vow never to return. Several years later the Internet happened and over time many of my favorite new-wave cartoonists got online. The bug bit again and I started exploring the new crop of small press cartoonists. Today's explosion of small press comics is more exciting than any time I've ever seen.
Favorites: Papercutter, Not My Small Diary, Slam Bang, Comic Eye, stuff from Main Enterprises and Weird Muse, to name a few.
Website: MidnightFiction.com
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