Small Press Comics

London-born comic artist Ho Che Anderson has made a name for himself with his stark black-and-white drawing style, which takes inspiration from film noir and classic horror.  He has also defined a subject matter focusing on African-American culture and liberation, including illustrating the cover to Black Panther Huey P. Newton’s autobiography, “Revolutionary Suicide”.  Anderson’s art is on full display in the recent collection of his defining miniseries, “King”.

“King” is subtitled “A Comics Biography”, but those expecting a children’s perspective of the great civil rights advocate will be greatly surprised.  Anderson’s work has been acclaimed for returning an air of humanity to a man often considered a legend.  Read the rest of this entry »

For someone new to the world of smaller comics, it can be difficult to know where to start.  Diamond Comic Distributors has compiled a list of the top 25 by sales for May 2010.  Here, I take a closer look at just a few, but hopefully you’ll be inspired to go and check them out for yourself! Read the rest of this entry »

Fantagraphics is one of the most notable success stories in the world of alternative comics.  Founded in 1976 by publishers Gary Groth and Mike Catron, legendary editor Kim Thompson joined in 1977 and was responsible for pulling the company out of bankruptcy by donating his inheritance to the company.

Despite its early troubles, the company has survived to this day as a beacon of insight in the comics world.  Its foremost publication is The Comics Journal, started in 1976.  The monthly magazine treats comics as a fine art form and has garnered its share of controversy over the years, whether by knocking popular superhero titles or creating a definitive list of the top 100 comics. Read the rest of this entry »

So you’ve done the hard part.  You’ve come up with a superhero, or a detective, or a punk rocker, and you’ve written and drawn their adventures.  Now is the time to relax, right?  Wrong.  You’ve still got one important task ahead of you: getting your book out in the world.

First, you will have to come up with a way of printing it.  You can use commercial stores like Fed Ex Office or, if you’re lucky enough to have access to a college or university, you can use their printing departments.  Before you get to this step, you’ll also have to figure out what to charge for the book.  This depends on a variety of things, like how long it is, how many you have available, and how much the printing cost.  One thing to keep in mind is that people usually like paying with single coins, so make it a round 25 cents rather than trying to go lower. Read the rest of this entry »

While an image can be universal, comics that depend on the written word don’t always translate across cultures.  When it comes to British indie books (or “stripzines” as they were originally called), though, it doesn’t take much to pick one up and understand.  The only hard part is finding them!

Usually the easiest way is by mail or websites, or at festivals like Oxford’s “Caption” event and London’s “Mini Comix Thing.”  Writers who start small don’t always stay that way, though.  Many have gained at least a moderate audience, both in their home and in America.  A few are listed below. Read the rest of this entry »

The Small Press Expo in Bethesda, Maryland is coming in a few months, and fans and artists alike are gearing up for the fifteenth year of the event.  The event will again take place at the Marriott Bethesda North Hotel & Conference Center on September 11 and 12.  But for those who have never heard of the event, or don’t know a thing about comics beyond that guy with the bat ears, what’s in it for you?

The comics and artists presented at SPX go against traditional ideas of what a comic can be.  The best work is recognized with an Ignatz Award. The name comes from a character in George Herriman’s  early 20^th-century comic strip, Krazy Kat.  The surreal art and storyline are a major influence for modern independent cartoonists. Read the rest of this entry »