New Comic: Fool’s Rice

This assignment was about using outside inspiration, and the plot points were dictated by random flips in a reference book. In my case, Zingerman’s Guide to Good Eating. It’s a little nothing of a comic, but I hope you enjoyed the whimsy. The physical size is a piece of copy paper folded “hotdog style” as my roommate Kevin would say. The second “page” of comics here is actually a two page spread, and I struggled with how to present it, so click to see it bigger. For your additional edification, dear readers, a photo of the pot rendered in such loving detail above:

Root Hog, Or Die: Indian Fall

This is the second installation in a new on-going series at the Josh Kramer Blog.

14. Fresh bagels

15. R. Crumb in Conversation with Francoise Mouly

16. A Serious Man

17. Harpoon Leviathan Saison Royale (also the packaging on the whole Leviathan series!)

18. Ants on a log, with currants instead of raisins to make it feel like a more adult snack (pictured above)

19. The Suspiria soundtrack by Goblin

20. “A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge” in webcomic form (Great comics journalism with link citations!)

21. Frank Zappa — Joe’s Garage Act I

22. Lala.com (cheap, DRM-free MP3s of anything, and you can listen to everything free the first time!)

23. ACME Novelty Library #18 by Chris Ware

24. Finally having a decked out work place (pictured below, with detail)

25. The profile of food critic Jonathan Gold in The New Yorker

26. The New England concept of Thrift

Diary Comic: Up & Down

Here’s another quick diary comic. More style than substance I’m afraid; nothing really to report this week. I read a lot of Chris Ware last night, so that’s mostly where I’m coming from. New Root Hog soon, as well as an exciting design project after that.

Abstract Comics

As hinted to in the last post, here’s an abstract comic. I’m not sure how I feel about it, but it’s certainly different. I’m about halfway through a new Root Hog list. Thanks for voting in the poll below, if you did. Thanks also for your honesty, especially whoever voted for the first option. I’ve decided to hold off on a book club for now, but if you are interested, please contact me and you’ll be the first to know as soon as I start subscriptions.

Diary Comic: Lupine Inspiration

Here’s this week’s diary comic. I tried to pay special attention to spotting my blacks. “Steve” is Steve Bissette, legendary comics artist and awesome CCS faculty member. As I realized today, Steve is definitely a John Peel-style comics historian — a rarity indeed. Thanks for pointing me to Seton, Steve! Sorry I drew you so weirdly. Coming soon: a comic that will blow your mind, in the “abstract.”

Root Hog, or Die: Halloweenie

This blog is transitioning. I’m trying to ramp back up to posting frequently. I’m getting a lot of good feedback on my comics, but I’m not working quick enough to post only comics here. John Porcellino, who I blogged about recently, has a great feature in King-Cat called “Top 40″ where he just lists great things he has experienced between issues. This ranges from movies and records to feelings and car trips.

I asked him about the lists, and he said that he just wanted something positive to combat the cynicism he saw growing in zines and punk rock. He doesn’t arrange the items on his lists hierarchically, but poetically, like the rest of King-Cat. I’ve decided to start a list of my own here on the blog and I’m naming it after another King-Cat-ism: Root hog, or die.

1. Where the Wild Things Are movie

2. Chris Ware Granta cover (above), New Yorker cover, and New Yorker story

3. Listening to wind chimes outside while falling asleep on a windy night

4. Tracy Morgan on Fresh Air, being interviewed by Terry Gross (“I feel Terry!”)

5. Jonathan Ames reading his story, “Bored to Death,” on the McSweeney’s App

6. My hand-painted copy of Dash Shaw’s new book

7. Driving stick around town

8. Getting PAID for a comic for the first time

9. Mad Men Season Three

10. Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons — “The Night”

11. “Badlands Billy” by naturalist/artist Ernest Thompson Seton

12. Maple syrup coated baked pumpkin seeds

13. White River Junction halloween parade

Image is Chris Ware’s Chicago cover for Granta. Courtesy of Granta, and Drawn and Quarterly for jpeg.