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2008
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What It Is
by Lynda Barry
What It is, the long awaited, all new, 208 page hardcover volume of heuristic metacomix by the one and only Lynda Barry, is both a beautiful and inspiring work of art and an insightful exploration of the creative process. Her first new work since her 2002 masterpiece, 100 Demons, What It Is uses the language of comics to probe the secrets of creativity itself, which leads her deep into the caverns of philosophy, where, ever the intrepid explorer, Ms. Barry undertakes an especially thorough excavation of the cave of epistemology. There in the murky darkness she discovers that memory and imagination blur and merge amidst the stalactites and stalagmites of our respective genetic heritages before condensing and collecting in placid prehistoric pools to mix with the ancient amoebas; in the process dissolving time itself. The past, present and future come together -- an instant and an eternity stand as one in the revelation that it all starts with... The Image! Lynda Barry, long considered among the major contemporary comics creators, has, with What It Is, taken comics to a new place and created a work that can stand shoulder to shoulder in the pantheon with those created by Frida Kahlo, Jean Michel Basquiat, and Hayao Miyazaki, to name but a few of her new peers. This book is full of surprises and delight. There's really only one thing to say about this book: "YES!!!" If you still need convincing, then feast your eyes on this amazing (lucky)13-page preview and/or read our full length review.
retail price - $24.95 copacetic price - $22.22
Capacity
by Theo Ellsworth
This one gets a solid recommend from us as a great gift. It's new, it's not widely available and its creator is just starting to get the recognition he deserves, so anyone giving this as a gift stands a good chance of getting the credit for turning its recipient on to a good thing. It's an ideal choice for any and all day dreamers on anybody's list. If ever you wondered where a wandering mind goes when it meanders, the most substantial answer yet produced can be found here in the pages of this volume. Theo Ellsworth's Capacity is a hefty 336 page tome that collects all seven issues of Mr. Ellsworth's fantastic self-published series of comics of the same name, (these have been big sellers here at Copacetic, but most, if not all, of them are now out of print) PLUS well over 100 pages of new -- and amazing -- material. This is a veritable jackpot of a book, and we commend the fine folks at Secret Acres for taking the chance on Theo and publishing it. It is packed with page after page of the most energetically imaginative pen and ink drawings we've ever seen. There's a hint of Moebius here, but really, when you get right down to it, this book makes us think that Ellsworth's body, despite residing in the northwest of the USA, has been occcupied by a spirit from gothic Europe; probably that of a monkish scribe who produced illuminated manuscripts that contained detailed architectural renderings... and this spirit is pushing itself into our world through Theo's skillful hands, manifesting itself here in these fantastic pages of comics, which, the more you look at them the more they really do seem to start to come alive and enter into the mind and spirit of the reader. We strongly encourage you to visit www.artcapacity.com to help prepare yourself for the experience. Theo Ellsworth's talent is clearly working at maximum capacity.
retail price - $15.00 copacetic price - $12.75
Moomin, Book Three
by Tove Jansson
It's here! The third book in the four volume Drawn & Quarterly series collecting the entirety of the Moomin comic strip. Commissioned by the London Evening Standard over fifty years ago, created and produced in Finland by Ms. Jansson, Moomin went on to be published in over forty different newspapers around the world. Believe it or not, to the best of our knowledge (please correct us if we're wrong), despite its global popularity and the solid US sales of the children's Moomin books -- many of which include illustrations -- these D & Q volumes represent the first time the comics manifestation of the Moominverse has ever been published in book form in North America. Once again Drawn & Quarterly has done the material proud by maintaining their ususal standard of excellence in production. Don't worry if this is the first you've heard of Moomin: we still have the first two volumes in stock. And, not only that, D & Q had the foresight to provide us with an online location at which to peruse 90 consecutive strips -- here -- so, go ahead and get Moominized!
retail price - $19.99 copacetic price - $17.77
The Portable Frank
by Jim Woodring
You owe it to anyone who appreciates fine comics to make sure they have the opportunity to read The Portable Frank, which contains some of the most powerful sequences of images ever produced. The 14 classic black-and-white tales that make up the 200 pages of this vital tome will take its readers into the deepest caves of their psyche, tapping into genetic memories that reamain hidden and unreachable to other forms of communication. The wordless, "silent" Frank tales are comics at its purest. These are comics that can be read again and again and again and still be fresh each time, for they are inexhaustable, like some sort of magic book of comics that is refilled each time you open it, always the same yet always new; ur-comics. Take a peek at the book by visiting this page on Flickr. (Long time Frank fans, please note: most [all?] of these stories are also contained in its precursor, the mammoth mind-bender, The Frank Book, which also contains all the full color Frank tales. But, to be perfectly honest, they look better here on the flat white paper stock, than they do on the glossy clay-coated stock of The Frank Book, which was more suitable for the full color pieces.)
retail price - $16.99 copacetic price - $15.55
The Best American Comics 2008
edited by Lynda Barry
It will be hard to go wrong giving this 324 page, nicely produced, hardcover volume that is chock-a-block with great comics. Starting with the amazing embossed wraparound dustjacket by Eleanor Davis, the book is cover to cover comics that are worth reading. It leads off with a ten-page introduction by editor Barry, rendered in her new What It Is collage-comics style. It then proceeds -- in alphabetical order, no less -- with a well-rounded survey of the state of American comics. Missing from previous volumes in this series was any focus on Ms. Barry's peers in the independent newsweekly world. That has been smartly rectified this time out with a nice selection of work by fellow pioneer of independent comics syndication, Matt Groening (Life In Hell), along with Alison Bechdel (Dykes To Watch Out For), Derf (The City) and Kaz (Underworld). And that's just the tip of the iceberg. We've got excerpts from some of the year's best graphic novels -- Salon by Nick Bertozzi, The Saga of the Bloody Benders by Rick Geary, Berlin: Book Two by Jason Lutes, Percy Gloom by Cathy Malkasian and American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang, among others. Then we've got a one after another super solid short and medium length comics works that show a truly remarkable range. We have instant classics by established masters like Jaime Hernandez's "Gold Diggers of 1969" from Love and Rockets and Chris Ware's "Thanksgiving Series" from The New Yorker. Then we have what is probably this collection's signal strength: new work by new(er) talent: Graham Annable and Sarah Oleksyk, both from Papercutter; T. Edward Bak and Evan Larson, both from Project: Romantic; Eleanor Davis and Martin Cendreda, both from MOME; Eric Haven and Michael Kupperman from their own comics, Tales To Demolish and Tales Designed To Thrizzle, respectively; and then self-published works by Lilli Carré, Shawn Cheng and Sara Edward-Corbett, Joseph Lambert, and John Mejias. And there's more! This one is a winner. Recommended!
retail price - $22.00
copacetic price - $20.00
Anthology
of
Graphic Fiction, Cartoons, and True Stories: 
Breakdowns
Abandoned Cars
by Tim Lane
OK, true believers, step right up for a dose of hardboiled comics that will take you on a ride outside of yourself and into "The Great American Mythological Drama." Think Jim Thompson & David Goodis, Sam Fuller & Robert Aldrich, yes, but also think of a travelling carnival populated by the ghosts of Elvis, Stagger Lee, John Dillnger and their cronies: the detritus of the American Dream. These are stories that grab you and don't let go, put down on paper in page after page of firm, tight, highly controlled and relentless pen and ink comics powered by coffee, cigarettes and alcohol. Do yourself a favor and give this 160 page hardcover the once over by visiting the massive page devoted to it on the jackienoname Weblog.
retail price - $22.99 copacetic price - $20.00
Against Pain
by Ron Regé, Jr.
This book is the ideal gift to the long suffering Regé collector, as it assembles all his far flung contributions to other publications such as Kramers Ergot, McSweeney's, The Ganzfeld, Rosetta, and many, many others. It also includes the out of print stand-alone comic book, Boys, that was co-created with writer Joan Reidy. Against Pain is an oversize hardcover volume that presents most all of the works as they originally appeared -- whether it was black & white, full color, or Regé's own pastel duotone -- but at a larger size than they have previously been seen, which can - and does - make old work new again. Regé's work is singular in the intensity of its emotional clout. He is clearly an artist who has sufffered and who strives to work through his suffering, in an attempt to create an artistic catharsis that with be emotionally purgative for his readers as well as for himself, towards the goal of being at peace with the world.
retail price - $24.95
copacetic price - $22.22
American Elf: Book Three
by James Kochalka
Yes, it's true: two years have passed and so here we have two full years of the day-in-day-out life of the burgeoning Kochalka clan. This volume collects all the daily online diary strips for 2006 & 2007, once again in full color. Any follower of American Elf will be sure to appreciate the chance
retail price - $19.99 copacetic price - $17.77
Thoreau at Walden
by John Porcellino
Thoreau & Porcellino: a perfect match if there ever was one! We have nothing but good things to say about this, the third volume in the Center of Cartoon Studies series of American Biography in Comics. Printed in brown and black ink, this new hardcover book is a fantastic intro to the life and works of Henry David Thoreau and makes for a transporting read. Porcellino had extracted the key quotes from Walden (along with a few from Civil Disobedience, for good measure) and then given them plenty of space to breath in the reader's mind, as the gently paced visuals flow across the page and work to capture the deliberate and gradual rhythms of Thoreau's day to day existence, which is to say real life, as it is lived: the practical realization of his philosophy, in comics.
retail price - $16.99 copacetic price - $14.44
The Rabbi's Cat 2
by Joann Sfar
Hey, here's a swell surprise: a fine follow-up to 2006's The Rabbi's Cat, continuing the series of elegantly eloquent tales set among the Jewish diaspora in the French inflected culture of northern Africa, centered in Algiers, and taking place during the more innocent days of the 1930s. The eternal mysteries of love, faith, ritual and nature are probed with a delicate and nuanced touch in the 130, lush, full color pages of this hardcover volume. A real treat. Get a nice sneak preview, here.
retail price - $22.95 copacetic price - $20.00
Hall of Best Knowledge
by Ray Fenwick
A book like no other, HoBK is very tough to concisely describe, but we'll give it the old college try: It is a meditation on ideas concerning knowledge; specifically on what constitutes authority in the realm of knowledge, and how this authority is represented. It is -- whether consciously so or not is open to debate -- an examination of the perception that an innate authority lies in manuscripts -- literally "writing by hand" -- the medium through which all traditional knowledge was stored and distributed during the millenia preceding Gutenberg's invention of movable type and the printing press which ushered in the era of print (which era, we hasten to add, is now coming to a close -- what better time to revisit its precursor?). Fenwick employs walls of irony and sarcasm to seal off the reader into chamber of darkness wherein he lights a single candle and everything is illuminated.
retail price - $19.95 copacetic price - $17.77
Acme Novelty Library 19
by Chris Ware
Anyone who was worried that Mr. Ware might choose to rest on his laurels and start "coasting" or "phoning it in" will have all their worries laid soundly to rest with this amazing volume. Yes, this is a continuation of the "Rusty" Brown saga, but right from the start it takes a quite unexpected turn, the full implications of which are not fully apparent until the conclusion of the volume, and even then will likely inspire considerable pondering on the part of the reader. The level of sophistication and nuance inhering to Ware's narrative strategy reaches new heights in this complex, multi-part and multi-layered work that is at once painfully embarrassing and deeply moving; a disturbing, fascinating and, finally, profound exploration of a callow nature and the genesis of an arrested development. Ware's mastery of the craft of comics clearly continues to grow as well, and is on full display here, particularly in the beautiful subtleties of the coloring and in the use of page layout to finesse the stories' pacing. In as much as one of the themes dealt with here is the 20th century American conflation of technology and the fantastic, it might be appropriate to describe Ware as creating a delicately constructed narrative feedback loop to inter-link the stories that consititute Acme Novelty Library 19, and thereby forge a single unified piece that pulses with living complexity, a method that carries with it an echo of Mary Shelly's Frankenstein -- the employment of mechanistic means to create an organic end -- which ushered in the conjunction of science and fiction. Suffice it to say that Chris Ware's talents continue to astound and amaze.
retail price - $15.95 copacetic price - $14.44
Jamilti and Other Stories
by Rutu Modan
The author of Exit Wounds returns with this collection of all her extant short work. While the execution of the material ranges from early work rendered entirely in pencil to her current "paperless" work that is rendered entirely electronically using a Wacom™ tablet and Photoshop™. While it is certainly true that the material all connects in one way or another with Israel and the Jewish experience, Modan is quite an adept storyteller and each piece in this collection is first and foremost a tale of the fragile foibles of human kind. Get a taste, here.
retail price - $19.99
copacetic price - $17.77
Aya of Yop City
by Abouet & Oubrerie
This is the second in the series of the adventures of Aya in the Ivory Coast of three decades past. If you know anyone who enjoyed the original volume, Aya, then giving them this fab follow-up is as close to a sure thing that you're likely to find. On the other hand, if you have someone whom yo think would enjoy this and you're pretty sure they don't already have the first volume, you might want to consider starting there... or get both! To experience Aya's unique appeal, click here, for a nice PDF preview.
retail price - $19.99
copacetic price - $17.77
Gentleman Jim
by Raymond Briggs
introduction by Seth
This landmark 1980 work by the creator of the Certified Copacetic Classic™, Ethel and Ernest, has been reissued by the fine folks at Drawn & Quarterly, and not a moment too soon, we say. Raymond Briggs was way ahead of the curve when it came to producing fully fleshed human characters in comics. This slim 32 page full color hardcover is a treasure, and you'll understand why, once you view this full color PDF preview.
retail price - $14.95 copacetic price - $12.75
Red Colored Elegy
by Seiichi Hayashi
This book is our suggestion for the moody, romantic on your list. You know, the one whose favorite thing about the holidays is the chance it gives them to be alone and brood. It's hard to believe that it's taken nearly forty years for this truly original, one of a kind work to finally be published in North America in English translation, but now that it has it's like a missing chapter in the history of manga has at last been found. This work is not one than can simply be opened up a dived into, partly as a result of its late arrival, but mostly because it is such an original piece that most readers will immediately find themselves on unfamiliar ground that seems to shift beneath them as they progress through its pages. Seiichi was clearly a cultural omnivore and he ranged far and wide indeed in gathering his inspiration for Red Colored Elegy, which he produced during 1970 and 1971, in the wake of the tumultuous cultural upheavals of the late 1960s, which, it is not widely appreciated here in the states, created as much turmoil in Japan as in America and Europe. His visual sources range from Utamaro and Hokusai to di Chirico and Picasso to Takahama and Tatsumi, and include incorporations of Hollywood icons such as Mickey Mouse and James Dean. We'll have to admit to finding his narrative influences to be somewhat obscure -- due to our lack of expertise in Japanese literary history. Nevertheless, it is discernable that, as with his visual sources, there is an "East meets West" feel to the idiosyncracies of Hayashi's storytelling. There is also a clear generational opposition to the straight forward, propulsive narratives of Tezuka, as well as an alliance with the narrative indeterminacies of the cinema of la nouvelle vague. All this is by way of preparing you for the unique experience of reading Red Colored Elegy. It is a work full of despair and desperation that is more than a work of fiction: it embodies the struggle of its author to forge a way in the world; to survive the 'slings and arrows of outrageous fortune'; and, finally, to build and hold a lasting love. How successful this work was in achieving these, we cannot say, but Red Colored Elegy most certainly left a lasting legacy that is at last being shared with American readers. Here's an excellent preview that will give you a good idea of what we're talking about.
retail price - $24.95 copacetic price - $22.22
Punk Rock and Trailer Parks
by Derf
The creator of the long running independent newsweekly strip, The City, has created a pitch perfect tale of the classic days of punk rock. Set in his home town of Akron, Ohio, in 1980, PR & TP gives us the senior year and then some of high school loser cum small-town-punk-rock-legend, Otto "The Baron" Pizcok. While the central narrative is entirely fictional, its setting is not, and Derf wryly captures the mid-Ohio ambience and recreates the hot and heavy scene at the main Akron club -- The Bank -- that was, at least for the time chronicled here, the center of the punk scene. Plot, pacing, characterization, the supporting cast -- all are spot on. Punk Rock and Trailer Parks will make for a thoroughly enjoyable read for anyone who likes comics and punk rock and will be a real thrill for anyone who remembers these days.
retail price - $15.95 copacetic price - $14.44
Red Rocket 7
by Michael Allred
And for those who like a bit more -- alright, a lot more -- fantasy mixed in with theihr graphic novels that celebrate the saving grace of Rock, Red Rocket 7 may be the ticket. For our money, this book is Allred's most interesting work. This is a budget priced reissue of the original series. It's 200 pages of full color comics that provides the entire original story & covers & bonus material in a "hi sci fi" 7" square-formatted trade paperback. Originally released in a 10-issue 10" square format comic book series 10 years ago, it (re)tells the dominant (i.e. - Anglo-centric) history of rock 'n' roll as though it were the story of one lone hero, and thereby welds it to the super-hero genre. Specifically, reading this version of the history of Rock it feels very much as though it were part of the Marvel Universe, in that everything fits together seamlessly, and everything connects to the lead protagonist, which, then causes the reader to pause and reflect how this way of reading history -- that of positioning an identity that stands in for the reader at the center of the action -- has a strong pull, is a sort of siren song: it's a pleasure to read, but you end up where you started, alone with the music. Strange, alienating and yet pleasurable, Red Rocket 7 is a synecdoche for something, we're just not sure what...
retail price - $16.99 copacetic price - $15.55
Call of the Wild
by Patrick McDonnell
Yesh! You can be sure that someone you know will treasure the new Mutts™ collection. This year we have Call of the Wild, which brings us another full year's worth (2007, we believe) of daily and Sunday strips, in black and white and four-color, respectively. Mr. McDonnell's amazing strip transmits joy and energy every day, while simultaneously engendering an appreciation of the miracle of life on Earth. It's the definitive good vibe.
retail price - $16.95 copacetic price - $15.25
For those who prefer works which have stood the test of time, here are some classics:
Graphic Witness: Four Wordless Graphic Novels
edited by George Walker
This collection brings us back to a fascinating era of wordless novels -- i.e. novels told entirely in pictures -- that had a modest flowering during the first half of the 20th century. These novels tended to emerge from a socialist -- and even, dare we say it, communist -- consciousness and often centered on class struggle and/or the clash between labor and capital. This volume contains four excellent works, each hand crafted by a master of the form between 1918 and 1951: The Passion of a Man by Franz Masereeel; Wild Pilgrimage by Lynd Ward; White Collar by Giacomo Patri; and Southern Cross by Laurence Hyde. Part of the attraction of politically motivated artists to this form, as George Walker explains in his excellent introduction, is the universality of the image -- it does not need to be translated, and can cross cultural barriers in a single bound, as it were, and so communicate the message of human liberation that the creators were eager to impart as widely as possible. Somewhat ironically, these class-conscious works that aimed -- at least in part -- to raise the awareness of the exploitative quality of capitalism and spur the masses into rising up against "the man" were produced by members of more-or-less the middle class and published by companies that put out hardcover volumes priced in dollars that aimed at the middle class, while at the same time just down the street at the comic book publishers, works were being published that sold in huge numbers for a dime and that would ultimately prove to have the greatest impact in shaping the consciousness of the of these very masses that the picture novelists were trying to reach. This is not in any way to knock these works -- they are excellent and show precisely that compassion for the human condition that super hero power fantasies worked so hard -- and, one must add, succcessfully -- to obviate. It is not at all surprising that these works are coming back into vogue at this juncture as the values that they champion are sorely in need at the same time that the public at large is warming to the idea of reading graphic novels, of which, in many respects -- not the least of which in this regard is the enthusiasm of mainstream publishers -- the works collected here may be seen as precursors if not progenitors. This collection definitely warrants a look, and, if you like what you see, it really is a great value when you consider it collects four complete works. The stand out, in our opinion, has to be Lynd Ward's Wild Pilgrimage. Ward is probably the most well known and widely published of the creators collected here, and his work God's Man has been kept in print far longer than any other work in this genre, but Wild Pilgrimage is probably his most intense work.
retail price - $29.95 copacetic price - $26.95
Kirby: King of Comics
by Mark Evanier
Here it is, the official authorized biography of the King! Yes, of course, this is a lavishly illustrated oversize hardcover edition. Need you even ask? It's author, Mark Evanier was the man closest to Kirby during the last two decades of his life and so was in a position to learn of many personal anecdotes that no other chronicler of Kirby's life would have had access to. That said, Evanier's acccount of Kirby's life is not the thorough, in-depth one that we are all waiting for -- it looks like we'll have to wait a bit longer. From a production and presentation standpoint, however, the creators of this volume have done an excellent job. The quality of the reproductions is top notch and the've made all the right printing decisions -- flat colors on flat, bright, low-reflective, heavyweight white stock. The book is filled with page after amazing page of full size reproductions of original art, as well as luscious reproductions of the comics themselves. This book is a real pleasure to go through. The obvious choice for the Kirby fanatic in your life.
retail price - $40.00 copacetic price - $35.00
Strange and Stranger: The World of Steve Ditko
by Blake Bell
Yes, it's a one-two punch for long-time fans. First Kirby, then DItko! Back-to-back respectful treatments of two of the all time greats. This one has been (many) years in the making: it's the long-awaited all-in-one work -- biography, appreciation and coffee-table art book -- on the one and only "sturdy" Steve Ditko. While best known as co-creator of Spider-Man, his career began in 1953 and spans five decades filled with unique, original and widely influential contributions to the medium of comics. Fans of his work pretty much have no choice but to rush out and purchase this book immediately or risk losing their hard-earned credentials, but this 200+ page, oversize hardcover volume that is filled cover to cover with amazing full color and B & W art will also serve as an excellent entry point to any and all looking to gain a further appreciation of this amazingly talented and highly eccentric creator.
retail price - $39.99 copacetic price - $33.99
Gary Panter
by Gary Panter
OK, with this mammoth production, it's out with the old school and in with the new. While clearly indebted to his precursors -- such as Kirby and Ditko (and, especially, Jesse Marsh) -- Gary Panter struck out boldly on his own and discovered a new world of comics that inspired a mass migration following in his footsteps. A veritable village of comics practitioners have been building their artistic homes in the still informally organized Territory of Panter. This two-volume tome is clearly the definitive survey of the work of this seminal talent and is sure to be much desired by many an ardent fan. Published by PictureBox, "This monumental, slipcased set is split into two 344-page volumes. The first is a comprehensive monograph featuring over 700 images of paintings, drawings, sculptures, posters and comics, alongside essays by Robert Storr, Mike Kelley, Edwin Pouncey, Richard Klein, Richard Gehr, Karrie Jacobs and Byron Coley, as well a substantial commentary by the artist himself. The second volume features a selection from Panter’s sketchbooks–the site of some of his most audacious work–most of which has never been published in any form."
retail price - $95.00 copacetic price - $77.77
The Explainers
by Jules Feiffer
OK, someone's been waiting for this one for a long time. This is where it all started. Jules Feiffer is the founding father of the alternative newsweekly comic strip. He walked into the offices of the Village Voice at some point during the first year of its operations and pitched an idea for a continuing comic strip. The editors took him up on it and for the next forty years Feiffer turned in a strip nearly every week, ALL of which will be collected by Fantagraphics in four fat volumes, each collecting a decade's worth of strips. This 546 page volume is the first. Feiffer reinvented the comic strip for the then nascent "Alt." crowd that had The Village as it's ground zero. These strips seem amazingly contemporary even today. Try saying that about any other 50 year old comic strip (well, not counting Peanuts, which is, evidently, timeless). Feiffer created the template, and pretty much owned it for twenty years. Once the punk rock generation clawed their way into the newsweeklies Feiffer's way became ubiquitous, and cartoonists the likes of Matt Groening, Lynda Barry, Mark Stamaty and Stan Mack spread the gospel. The comics contained in The Explainers are smart and funny and made a vital contribution to the development of American comics.
retail price - $28.99 copacetic price - $25.00
Krazy & Ignatz 1943 - 1944: "He Nods in Quiescent Siesta"
by George Herriman
This beautiful, full color, oversize softcover volume designed by Chris Ware brings us to the end of the thirty year journey of George Herriman's amazing Krazy Kat comic strip. It's packed with Herriman rarities including letters, photos, some wonderful one-of-a-kind hand-colored illustrations, and several never-before-seen Herriman works that together help take the sting out of knowing that this volume completes the collection of Krazy Kat Sunday pages that began twenty(?) years ago with the Eclipse / Turtle Island editions. For those of you who only joined this journey when Fantagraphics took it over, you still have quite a treat to look forward to as Fantagraphics intends to now circle back to the beginning and collect the first ten years of Krazy Kat, creating what is sure to be the definitive uniform edition. For the time being, let's all savor the last fruits of Herriman's genius and then give thanks.
retail price - $19.99 copacetic price - $17.77
The Complete Peanuts, Volume 10: 1969-1970
by Charles M. Schulz
Yep, the ongoing Fantagraphics project to collect the entire fifty-year run of the one and only Peanuts has now reached the twenty-year mark. When this series first got underway it seemed a daunting task to collect a fifty year run, but here we are already with twenty years under our belts. This time around, Snoopy takes center stage; these are the years that cemented his star status, during which his popularity at times eclipsed even that of Charlie Brown himself. This volume also marks the full fledged introduction of Woodstock as a Peanuts regular. While he made a few brief appearances in 1967 as "a bird hippie," he became a regular in 1969, and was finally dubbed "Woodstock" on June 22, 1970 (a fact easily determined by consulting the thorough index that appends each and every volume in this series -- a unique feature that we continue to applaud Fantagraphics for instituting).
retail price - $28.95 copacetic price - $25.00
The Complete Peanuts Box Set 5: 1967-70
by Charles M. Schulz
And, for those of you who wait for the annual box set, your wait is over, for it, too, has arrived. As always, it contains the two volumes released individually during the year -- these are the exact same volumes, identical in every way -- enclosed in a sturdy and attractive slipcase, yet priced substantially less. A true value, and a great gift.
retail price - $49.99 copacetic price - $44.44
Little Nemo in Slumberland - Many More Splendid Sundays
by Winsor McCay
Edited by Peter Maresca
For those of you interested in making a big impression, you might want to consider the follow-up volume to the most heralded collection of classic comics ever produced. This volume gigantic 16" x 21" full color hardcover is even more packed with art and features than the first volume, the printing is every bit as gorgeous, and the binding has been improved. In the face of this Sunday Press edition, it's a challenge to find an adequate superlative!
retail price - $125.00 copacetic price - $125.00
and in the how-to department:
Drawing Words & Writing Pictures:
Making Comics - Manga, Graphic Novels, and Beyond
by Jessica Abel & Matt Madden
We all knew it was only a matter of time until this day arrived, and so it has: the first textbook devoted to the practice of creating comics is now on our shelves. Billed as, "A definintive course from concept to comic in 15 lessons," the primary purpose of this work is to provide a state-of-the-art textbook for high school, trade school and college courses devoted to comics craft -- thus the 15 lessons, the average number of classes in a semester. Authors Abel and Madden (who are wife and husband, and, more germane to their authorship of this work, veteran comics instructors, most notably at SVA [the School for Visual Arts] in NYC) have not, however, forgotten about the rest of us, for they have designed the book with both lone, individual-learners -- "ronin" -- and independent study students who might like to get together and create their own self-directed learning groups -- "nomads" -- in mind. Of special note in this regard is the book's companion website, http://www.dw-wp.com , which is chock full of extra features and sample work that will help to keep on track those lacking the guiding hand of a professional instructor. As a result, this book makes for the ideal gift for that person who is hoping to learn more about the craft and practice of making comics. Here's the opinion of the two individuals most qualified to offer their opinion on the quality of the instruction on offer here: "A gold mine of essential information for every aspiring comics artist. Highly recommended." - Scott McCloud, author of Understanding Comics "Matt and Jessica's experience, both in the classroom and at the drawing board, has resulted in a book that should help any aspiring cartoonist. A go-to how-to that will undoubtedly be of tremendous aid for any school or instructor attempting to map out a thoughtful and engaging cartooning curriculum." -- James Sturm, founder and director of The Center for Cartoon Studies And there you have it.
retail price - $29.95 copacetic price - $26.95
How to Draw Stupid
by Kyle Baker
The first thing you should know about this book is that, while it is indeed a how-to-draw art book, it's NOT for people who want to learn how to be Artists, or how to "express themselves." This IS a book for those who are looking to learn the ins and outs of cartooning, who are interested in becoming professionals, who want a career -- especially those who need some encouragement and could use some common sense advice. The sound, solid and simple premise upon which this book is based is that if someone is or was successful then their work is worth studying, and their opinions are worth listening to. Anytime Jack Kirby, Will Eisner and Frank Miller do or say something, it is, ipso facto, worth paying attention to -- your investment of time and energy will be rewarded with personal improvement and career advancement. Kyle Baker is successful, therefore you should pay attention to what he has to offer if you too are interested in being successful. How to Draw Stupid is a potential supplement to Abel & Madden's Drawing Words, Writing Pictures listed above. Where DW, WP takes the programmatic approach of traditional pedagogy, HtDS take the personal approach of the master-apprentice relationship. Also, and importantly, whereas DW, WP takes a broad overview of the entire field of combining words and pictures to tell stories, HtDS is specifically directed at the narrow focus region of humorous cartooning. If you have anyone on your list who is interested in being a successful, professional cartoonist, and, especially if that person likes, enjoys and/or admires Kyle Baker's work, then getting a hold of a copy of this book is a no-brainer. The book is written in an intimate, personal tone (it is also funny). Reading this book really feels like sitting across from Kyle as he works at his drawing table (or as you both share a booth at the local tavern, to which he has brought his portfolio and sketchbook). We felt like he was right there, talking us through his method, telling us his opinions (of which he has many and is not shy in sharing them), intermittently leafing through his portfolio and now and then whipping off a quick sketch to illustrate a point. Sometimes, you might feel like he's holding onto his opinions a little too firmly -- as we did when he insisted only one of fifteen different drawings of eyes was "truly" stupid (we could be wrong, but we'd be hard pressed to imagine that the "correct" answer would be chosen by a majority) -- but that's part of the charm: he's not holding back, he's not trying to conform to any preconceived notion of "correctness", he's just being himself, a straight-shootin' cartoonist sharing the secrets of success, and makin' a buck doing it -- which is exactly what he'd recommend you do, should the opportunity present itself.
retail price - $16.95 copacetic price - $15.25
Expressive Anatomy for Comics and Narrative
by Will Eisner with Peter Poplaski
The third and final volume in the "Will Eisner Instructional Series" -- following the essential classic Comics and Seqential Art and its sequel, Graphic Storytelling and Visual Narrative Expressive Anatomy was nearly complete before Eisner's death and offers plenty of tips and guidance in this crucial area that lies right at the heart of cartooning.
retail price - $22.99 copacetic price - $20.00
500 Essential Graphic Novels
by Gene Kannenberg, Jr.
Daunted by all the choices? Aren't sure what to get? Aren't sure what the person on your list already has? If you think it might be a better idea to let them choose for themselves, then this book might be just the thing, as it will expand their horizons with a massive selection of the best of what the ever expanding world of graphic novels has to offer. There are plenty of surprises here in Dr. Kannenberg's fully illustrated and highly idiosyncratic list of his top 500 graphic novels, which is most valuable for the obscure and rare works it unearths. Even jaded "know-it-alls" (guess not!) such as ourselves discovered new works that we now have to track down and decide for ourselves whether or not we too will deem them "essential."
retail price - $29.95 copacetic price - $26.95
Jazz A•B•Z
by Paul Rogers and Wynton Marsalis
OK, this is not just the perfect gift book for the jazz fan on your list, it is also makes for an ideal gift to give to anyone -- of any age -- who has a love of words and pictures. This sumptuous hardcover volume has the potential to turn the squarest square into the heppest cat. Everyone is a jazz fan in the making: this is just the ticket to inspire them to take a closer look. Jazz ABZ is a pæn to jazz in art and poetry that simply has to be seen to be believed. The essence of jazz -- collaboration, composition, and improvisation -- is embodied in this singular tribute to the form. The overall package is designed to resemble the traditional albums of 78rpm records from back in the day when jazz was king. Rogers has totally nailed the jazz aesthetic in these 26 poster-like portraits, each devoted to a giant of jazz. And, thanks to the miracle of the internet, you don't haveto take our word for it, as every one of these masterworks is viewable online, HERE, (just scroll down and then click on any thumbnail to enlarge it to the size of the image at right). Every one of these is accompanied by a truly wonderful jazz-poem portrait by the one and only Wynton Marsalis that really captures these historic figures in surprisingly sophisticated pieces (surprising in that who knew Mr. Marsalis was an accomplished poet? Not us, that's for sure!) that manage to simultaneously demonstrate a great empathy for the humanity of these jazz champions in the description of their characters and capture the essence of their unique musicality in the equally unique form each of the poems takes. And we're selling it for 60% off it's original list price!
retail price - $24.95
copacetic special price - $9.95
Dream Street: W. Eugene Smith's Pittsburgh Photographs
edited by Sam Stephenson
critical essay by Alan Trachtenberg
W. Eugene Smith's Pittsburgh photographs are widely considered to constitute one of the greatest city portraits in the history of photography. Smith himself saw them as the central, pivotal work of his storied career, despite the fact that his ambitions for it were such that they were never fully realized. Over the course of three years -- 1955, 56 & 57 -- spent on and off in Pittsburgh, Smith made 17,000 photographs of the city in his attempt to push beyond the limitations of the photo essay and expand the boundries of the medium of photography to create a grand, unified work of art akin to a symphony or a novel. Editor Stephenson has distilled the essence of this massive effort into the 175 duotone photographs that fill this 10" x 11" softcover volume. Many of these will be instantly recognizable to any Pittsburgher as they have been reproduced so often, but they take on added meaning and new life when viewed in the context of the over-arching narrative created by the assemblage collected here, which presents an unmatched portrait of Pittsburgh, PA smack in the middle of the American Century. This is a work that will be treasured by Pittsburghers, admired by artists, photographers, critics and connoisseurs, and valued by historians for many years to come.
retail price - $29.95 copacetic special price - $11.95
The Book of Other People
edited by Zadie Smith
Hands down 2008's best original anthology of short fiction, we heartily recommend this book as the perfect gift for any and all aficionado's of the form. All the pieces are focused on the process of character creation and formation. The work of 22 of the best contemporary writers of fiction is on hand here -- Edwidge Danticat, Dave Eggers, Jonathan Safran Foer, Andrew Sean Greer, Aleksandar Hemon, A. M. Homes, Nick Hornby, Heidi Julavits, Miranda July, A. L. Kennedy, Hari Kunzu, Jonathan Lethem (whose contribution is sure to be a standout among Copacetic habitués)Toby Litt, David Mitchell, Andrew O'Hagan, ZZ Packer, George Saunders, Posy Simmonds, Adam Thirlwell, Colm Tóibín, Vendela Vida and editor Zadie Smith herself -- along with two of today's top cartoonists, Chris Ware and Dan Clowes, who both turn in amazing, full color stories that are almost worth the price of the anthology all by themselves. And not only that: this book is a "charity anthology", meaning that none of the contributors were paid and that all profits go to a charitable organization -- in this case, 826NYC, "a non-profit organization dedicated to helping children 6 - 18 with their creative and expository writing skills." And then there's the amazing Charles Burns cover. How can you say no? To learn more, read these reviews in the LA Times, NY Times and the UK Independent.
retail price - $15.00 copacetic price - $12.75
Atmospheric Disturbances
by Rivka Galchen
In her debut novel, Atmospheric Disturbances, Rivka Galchen has attempted to create a romantic, even sentimental, take on the works of P.K. Dick. J.G. Ballard, (early)Thomas Pynchon and (to a degree) William Burroughs, authors who created obsessive -- some might say delusional -- renderings of the altered states that contemporary consciousness takes when overloaded with raw data, cultural and/or scientific input, technological stimulus, education, or some combination of any or all of these,and wove them into intricate tapestries filled with complex patterns the meanings of which have been ceaselessly debated. Galchen enters this essentially masculine debate specifically to ask the reader to step outside of it and consider how it might be impacted by gender. She coaxes readers to her point of view through the device of employing a masculine first-person voice to tell a tale in which the authorial sympathies are clearly more aligned with the feminine perspectives on the the events as they unfold. The book provides an important -- some might say essential -- proviso to the literary creation of the modern mind. Check out the book's very own website, where you can absorb some of its flavor while you read an extract from the novel, an interview with the author, and more.
hardcover - retail price - $24.00 copacetic price - $21.50
The Brief Wondrous LIfe of Oscar Wao
by Junot Diaz
What can you say about a book that opens with a Galactus quote from Fantastic Four #49, drops more comics references -- particularly to the classics of the 1980s -- than any novel we've ever read, clearly shows the influence of Gilbert Hernandez's Palomar stories, AND won the Pulitzer Prize for best novel of 2007? We'd say, "This is a must read! Particularly suitable for fans of Jonathan Lethem's Fortress of Solitude and, although, perhaps, to a slightly lesser degree, of Michael Chabon's (also Pulitzer Prize winning) The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay." And then we'd add: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao is a gigantic meditation on the inner life of the fanboy. Its subject is disguised in some ways and blatant in others, but it is on every level derived from and is filled with insights into the role that comics and its partners in geekdom -- SF & fantasy, videogaming, role playing, etc -- play in bearing the costs of the sins of the world, especially those sins of the father (figurative as well as literal) that are visited on the son. Clearly, most readers won't see it in this light to the same degree, but we feel compelled to harp on it as this book won the Pulitzer, and while its author, Junot Díaz, is clearly chock full of talent and developed a strong and engaging voice that made the novel a pleasure to read, and of course deserves all the credit for putting pen to paper and creating it, it owes its key insights to comics -- especially to Gilbert Hernandez, from whom he derived his narrative strategy, but also to Chris Ware (whom he intriguingly neglects to give any props to [unless we missed them], perhaps indicating a guilty conscience?) for providing the central insights into the soul of the fanboy. From these two he derived the deep structures that underpin the entire work, but its surface is peppered ceaselessly throughout with references to comics (and Tolkein, science fiction, etc.) and as a whole provides yet another example of how comics and other narrative sources of fantasy have infiltrated American culture at level after level (and in the context of this novel, it is fairly explicit that America should be considered the entirety of the "new world," extending outside of the borders of the USA). It's a fascinating fact that California, which became home to the dream factory par excellence, was named after a fictional land depicted in a Spanish novel which was at the height of its popularity when this land was first claimed by Spain, indicating the inextricable bonds between fantasy, reality and history. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao continues this long-running tradition.
softcover - retail price - $14.00 copacetic price - $12.75
The Remainder
by Tom McCarthy
Here's another amazing novel by a writer who is clearly a comics reader, having also penned Tintin and the Secret of Literature. The Remainder is a tour de force of the first person in which the narrator, who is also the lead protagonist -- and whom the action centers on to such a degree as to function on the form itself -- has something in common with super-heroes -- particularly those of the mutant variety -- in that he has been altered by a freak catastrophic event that has transformed him in such a way that he has become substantially different from his fellow humans, and this difference is then enabled and furthered by society's sympathetic response to his personal catastrophe. However, as the novel gradually yet forcefully makes clear, this is not a good thing. A compelling read that will continue to reverberate in the reader's consciousness long after the last page has been read.
softcover - retail price - $14.00 copacetic price - $12.75
The Ten Cent Plague
by David Hajdu
Here's a book that any student of the history of comics will be sure to appreciate. Hadju is previously the author of Positively 4th Street (about Dylan & Co. in the Village) and Lushlife, a biography of Pittsburgh's own Billy Strayhorn, and so has proved himself adept at at fleshing out important corners of American culture. This work is a thoroughly researched look at the people who built the American comics industry and the price they paid when it all came crashing down around them as a result of the witch-hunt mentality of the McCarthy era. While the book shows that it is certainly true that many publishers missed their chance to mitigate the crisis through their lack of response to public outcry, the economic reality was such (hey, it's not easy to make a living on something that sells for a dime and the profit margin is a penny or two per copy) that all they had time for was trying to stay in business. The response of the moral authorities in all levels of government -- but most importantly for the story here being told, at the federal level -- was a merciless take-no-prisoners approach that shattered the American comics industry and made comic books synonomous with degeneracy for a generation of American parents. Only now, fifty years later, has the stigma on comics finally lifted. HERE's a nice chunky preview excerpt.
hardcover retail price - $26.00 copacetic price - $22.22
Jackie Ormes, The First African American Woman Cartoonist
by Nancy Goldstein
While this book is not likely to be on everybody's wish list, there is sure to be a few out there who will really appreciate this lavishly illustrated -- in black and white and full color -- oversize hardcover volume published by the University of Michigan Press that brings us the life and career of an important American comics creator. Jackie Ormes was born right here in Pittsburgh, PA and was raised just up river in Monongahela. Her most popular comic strip, Patty-Jo 'n' Ginger ran every week for eleven years -- from 1945 through 1956 -- in the Pittsburgh Courier, which was nationally distributed in those days. Her other strips, including Torchy Brown, which were produced for the Chicago Defender and other papers, are also covered in detail, as is the story of the licensing of her characters for dolls and toys. This fascinating and detailed look at an important but under-appreciated figure in comics history looks like it will make for a rewarding read.
retail price - $35.00 copacetic price - $29.75
Maps and Legends
by Michael Chabon
The first non-fiction collection by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Kavalier & Clay ranges from autobiographical essays (growing up in the then experimental community of Columbia, MD) to book reviews (Cormac McCarthy's The Road, for one) to artist appreciations (Howard Chaykin, Will Eisner, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle) to Judaism (Golems anyone?) and then back to memoirs (writing Mysteries of Pittsburgh, childhood encounters with literature). We can pretty much guarantee that any and all readers who are enamored of Chabon's fiction will take great pleasure in reading this volume, as the same discerning intelligence is on ample display here in sentences and paragraphs that are as finely crafted as any he has written and that will leave each reader with greater appreciations of and deeper insights into all the covered topics. And then there's the way fab, three tier, Jordan Crane dustjacket.
retail price - $24.00 copacetic price - $20.00
All Known Metal Bands
compiled and edited by Dan Nelson
There are bound to be more than a few folks out there who would get a charge out of this oddlly appealing volume. Looking like nothing so much as a facsimile of the register at the dock where you catch the ferry to Hades, this deluxe hardcover edition inscribes on black paper the names of all 51,000 known metal bands that -- figuratively, at least -- took this trip. An ideal aid for contemplation.
retail price - $22.00 copacetic price - $19.75
The James Brown Reader: 50 Years of Writing About the Godfather of Soul
edited by Nelson George and Alan Leeds
Before departing the realm of literature, we'll leave you with the perfect segue into the sphere of music. This insight-filled volume offers its readers the amazing opportunity to follow the life and career of James Brown as it happened. The entire volume is all from original source material penned as history was made, beginning with an unsigned Variety review of a 1959 show at the Apollo through to a lengthy 2006 appreciation of his life by Jonathan Lethem for Rolling Stone, The James Brown Reader presents the most multi-faceted single-volume view of its subject yet. And, co-editor Alan Leeds is a Pittsburgh homie. A must!
retail price - $17.00 copacetic price - $15.00
And, it shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone that we are once again featuring our favorite series of all time: the Proper Box! There are over 140 boxes to choose from. Each offers the best music in the best package at the best price. We just can't stop recommending it! All the titles in this series are uniformly excellent, but if we had to pick the one that will make you the heppest gift giver around, this would be it:
Proper Box 93: Louis Armstrong - King Louis
99 Tracks of absolute greatness. This is the music that defines the twentieth century, that once and for all distinguished the unique and original culture of The New World from that of its Old World forebears. Louis Armstrong changed the face of music and the music he created changed history. His career is nothing short of miraculous. No self-respecting American can be ignorant of the music contained on this set: it's the real declaration of independence. Finally, this music gets the Proper Box treatment: Five hours of music on four discs, each enclosed in their own LP-style jacket, accompanied by an informative 40-page illustrated booklet, all packed in a stylish, compact box for the copacetic price of only $29.75!
You really should know all your options before making up your mind, however, so be sure to check out the rest of the Proper Boxes, where you'll find the best music, in the best package, at the best price. Over 140 amazing boxes to choose from!
Funplex (CD)
by The B-52s
The first new LP in well over a decade by the band from Athens, GA that brought the party back to music over (good lord! >choke<) thirty years ago. The entire band -- including, once again, Cindy Wilson, who has returned to the fold -- shake their tail feathers as hard as they can and prove that they can still rock the house. They're still tripping the light fantastic in more ways than one and remain dedicated to their ethos of combining an inspired fun-filled kookiness with a stripped down sensuality to preach the gospel of personal liberation. It's hard to believe, but the B-52s are now as old as (and even older than) their own parents were when the band first started out, yet here they are, still at it. You might experience a momentary twinge of awkwardness at the spectacle of fifty-somethings getting down and dirty, but hey -- that's what the B-52s are all about.
retail price - $18.98 copacetic price - $12.77
CINEMA - DVD
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (DVD)
directed by Julian Schnabel
Where to begin with a film like this? Well, for starters, this film single-handedly renewed our faith in the existence of a cinema of redemption, of the sort we had thought had long ago passed from this earth. The viewing of this film reveals a complex signification system constructed of layer upon layer upon layer of meaning-generating signs, symbols and referents and designed to address the core theme of communication and those inter-personal relations that most closely -- at least, in Schnabel's view -- inhere to it. These the film differentiates as inter-generational familial relations -- particularly the father-son relation -- along with its corallary, gender relations; the relation between self-interest and self-sacrifice, which can, in turn, be further parsed to the relation between self-expression and submission; which leads, finally, to the relationship between art and religion. These themes are explored to such a depth as to reveal their shared roots. At the end we discover that the essence of life is a struggle to communicate our being in the face of mortality, and that the cinema is -- when properly employed -- a powerful language in this struggle, one that is, in fact -- as powerfully demonstrated by this film -- capable of redeeming the life led in its service.
retail price - $29.99 copacetic price - $25.75
Lust Caution (DVD)
directed by Ang Lee
w/ Tony Leung, Tang Wei and Joan Chen
Fresh from his Oscar win for Brokeback Mountain, Ang Lee delivers this devastating critique of the folly of entertainers' attempts to involve themselves in politics that is as intense as it is insightful. NC-17; widescreen; 157 minutes.
retail price - $29.98 copacetic price - $24.77
The Darjeeling Limited (DVD)
directed by Wes Anderson
w/ Adrian Brody, Jason Schwartzman & Owen Wilson
While some may complain that this entire film serves as an elaborate set up for the final scene, we have to say that even if this is the case (and we'd have to argue that it's not, as the film certainly has its moments) it's well worth the "sacrifice" of sitting through the picture as its conclusion is a true tour de force and the emotional payoff is huge.
retail price - $19.98 copacetic price - $17.77
Lost Highway (DVD)
directed by David Lynch
The final (major) piece in the puzzle of the Lynchian oeuvre is at last in place. Employing the great American metaphor of driving -- in a highly coded manner that takes one bizarrely twisted turn after another -- Lost Highway shows us the innermost workings of a psyche (in more ways than one, Lynch's own) that failed to successfully navigate the transition from childhood to adulthood and so remains trapped in a state of traumatized adolescence where identity remains in a constant state of transitional flux and the real and the imagined are never far apart. Or something like that. Not to mention the cool soundtrack. If you want to snap someone out of their complacency, this film just might be the ticket.
retail price - $19.99 copacetic price - $17.77
Wholphin No. 6 - DVD
Any one of the six extant volumes of Wholphin, the DVD magazine of rare and unseen short films, makes a worthy gift for the cinéphile on your list. Here's what's on deck in the latest: "Lizards, John Cleese, Lee Harvey Oswald, freat white sharks, Toddy Doyle, sasquatch hunters, Daniel Handler, cockroaches, intolerable guy next door, surreal dating with Michael Cera, Chinese third graders dabbling in American style democracy" and more! Lucky, a six-minute Australian film that is the cinematic equivalent of Vaughn Bodé's one-page comics masterpiece, "A Nickel Ride," is, for our money, the most profound short-film ever made. Please Vote for Me, a 32-minute excerpt from a documentary film of the same name that covers an elementary school election in China, should be seen by everyone in this election year, as it provides the most intimate portrait of an election we've ever seen, and, for those viewers who are paying attention, offers many insights into the democratic system, and, especially, the problems facing any transition from an autocratic system to a democratic one. 13 films, 141 minutes. Preview it here.
retail price - $19.99 copacetic price - $17.77
The Street: The Complete First Season
We're going to round out this season's offerings of DVDs with another bargain from Britain. This two-disc DVD contains the six, hour-long episodes that comprised the first season of this BBC drama created and written by Jimmmy McGovern. The Street features exceptionally solid performances by a host of talented actors including Jim Broadbent, Timothy Spall, Jane Horrocks and Sue Johnston among many others who are equally talented if less well-known. Each of the six episodes centers on one or more of the families living on a block of townhouses in an outer ring of London. Each is a hard hitting drama that tells a tale of actions and their consequences in no uncertain terms and with a strong moral flavor. If you find current offerings of American television to be crude, exploitative and/or mindless drivel you stand a very good chance of being throroughly engaged by this series. Evidently the hold of American television on its audiences has not loosened much as this series failed to make much of an impact here and as a result we are able to offer this DVD at a discount of over 60% off its retail price. Here's a chance for you to take advantage of your neighbors' lack of taste to get a real bargain on a solid television drama.
retail price - $29.98 copacetic ab fab price - $12.77
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Can't make up your mind? Afraid they might already have it? Not to worry, we offer a full complement of gift certificates: currently available in $10, $20, $25, $50 & $100 denominations.
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And last -- but least only terms of how much it costs:
Here's Cheap but good, or More for Less
This is a page of great gift items... for less! We have assembled a selection of items that we believe will serve as good choices for more casual gifts. Most items are priced below $10! There's some terrific stuff here. Really. Check it out.
And, yes, we do third-party shipments (i.e. we will ship direct to a recipient at a different address from the purchaser), and we will gift wrap for a nominal charge (it's free for in-store purchases).
Don't forget: we'll be updating this page throughout the holiday season, as new items arrive.
And of course there's all the rest of the Copacetic Comics Company offerings to choose from:If you're looking for a one-of-a-kind classic collectible comic book, may we suggest perusing:
Many bargain priced books may be found at:
To learn more about some Copacetic favorites check out:
Tried and true gift ideas may be found at:
And here's the latest:
And, finally: Can't find what you're looking for anywhere on the site, but aren't ready to give up? Send an email listing the item or items you're looking for, or any other question you may have, to: query@copacetic.biz
Also, if you already have certain items and/or creators in mind and you want to see if we have it and/or what we have, just enter the appropriate info into Copacetic Search and go from there.
prices and availability current as of 31 May 2009
