NEW STUFF ARCHIVES
Copacetic Arrivals: 3Q 2021
all items still available (unless otherwise noted)
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New for September 2021


SLSecret Life
by Theo Ellsworth & Jeff VanderMeer
Working in an office building – or even visiting one! – will never be the same again after reading Theo Ellsworth's richly imaginative graphic novel interpretation of Jeff VanderMeer's tale (that was originally published as the lead story in his 2004 collection of the same name).  Secret Life, as one might expect, is all about revealing a different sort of life lurking just below the surface of quotidian normalcy.  It only takes an instant to realize that this is straight up Theo Ellsworth's alley!   It's close to a perfect match, and Theo really goes to town.  It is a bit different seeing him work on a more formally straightforward narrative, and there are moments during the reading of Secret Life where you might experience hints of Rick Geary, Mark Alan Stamaty, Ben Katchor or even Michael Kupperman – yet there's never the slightest doubt that no one else but Theo Ellsworth could be the creator this work.  It's a lot of fun – but it's also more than that.  The office building, with its focus on a nameless, faceless corporation the task and point of which is not only unknown but also perhaps nothing at all besides floating lives on a current of cash flow along preset channels going nowhere, is also clearly intended as a synecdoche for 21st century American civilization.  And then there are the seemingly timeless natural rhythms that undergird and finally interpenetrate it all, yet still remaining just out of intellectual reach – beyond mortal ken.  Moving in the spaces between these two zones – which can (but don't have to) be taken to symbolize the conscious and unconscious – are a panoply of characters with whom readers can identify to varying degrees, and so find their own place and sort out their own role in all of this... a process which to which Theo Ellsworth's singular art provides a contribution of inestimable value.  Take a moment to check out this high resolution preview courtesy D & Q.
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tail price - $24.95  copacetic price - $21.75




DisciplineDiscipline
by Dash Shaw
Discipline
, the latest comics work from Dash Shaw, has been in the works for over five years.  Shaw set himself the difficult challenge of creating a calm, still work about war – specifically the American Civil War – one that would embody the Quaker ethos.  Whereas most fictional depictions of war focus on strategy, technological prowess and valor on the battlefield, or, conversely, on the tragedy, absurdity and horror of war, Discipline focuses instead on the moral quandaries of war.  These are approached within a philosophical matrix firmly grounded in the traditional Christian ethics of the Quaker faith, which hold, among much else, that one should, when attacked, turn the other cheek and “that no man overcomes his enemy until he has made him his friend.”  The core of Discipline’s narrative involves one Quaker family living in Indiana as the country descends into Civil War, and focuses primarily on the two children who come into adulthood amidst the turmoil of war.  The brother, impetuous, headstrong and full of youthful energy finds himself, despite his faith, unable to resist the siren song of soldiering, and so heads off and joins the Union army, much to his family’s dismay, while the sister stays at home and deals with the consequences of her brother’s actions, as they effect not only her community and family, but also, ultimately, herself.  The primary achievement of Discipline is its form.  It manages to evince the intimacy of a rough, sketchbook diary recording the impressions of the events on their participants along with the inner thoughts and feelings so generated while simultaneously weaving an intricate narrative.  Some readers will doubtlessly find the rough, sketchbook quality of some of the illustrations and page layouts unappealing and seemingly lacking in craft, but their employment here is clearly deliberate and crucial to forging the matter-of-fact representational style that is key to conveying the work’s perspective on war.  The emotional impact of (the aptly titled) Discipline slowly and steadily builds, its narrative gathering force throughout its ten chapters, spread over nearly 300 pages. This force is not released in any cataclysmic conclusion, but is instead held and gradually diffused into lived lives, providing the necessary moral ballast to stay steady on. 
retail price - $27.99  copacetic price - $23.75




Penny

Penny
by Karl Stevens
When you think of your cat's inner life, do you imagine it being by turns curious, angry, playful, hungry, frantic, escapist, lazy, sleepy, dreamy, imaginative, and even occasionally delusional bordering on psychotic – and with an undercurrent of snark constantly lurking just below the surface? If so, then your cat may have a lot in common with Karl Steven's cat, Penny, the narrator and putative "author" of this memoir.  Even if you imagine your cat's inner life as being very different – and even if you've never had a cat – you still stand a good chance of being entertained by this precisely-yet-lushly drawn work.  Head over to Room 68 Gallery and check out the nice high-resolution images of some of the original pages (and fantasize about owning one of them – or, if you just came into some cash, consider actually buying one!).
retail price - $19.99  copacetic price - $17.75





GNH


Good Night, Hem

by Jason
The latest from Jason is a quasi-historical drama set in Paris before and during the Second World War, featuring (a Jasonized™) Ernest Hemingway hanging out with several other historical figures during historical times, but then also mixes up historical fact with imaginary Hemingway & Co. escapades and exploits and, oh yeah, Athos of the Three Musketeers also finds his way into the mix and plays a significant role.  An intuitive comics master, Jason always delivers a satisfying read, and Good Night, Hem is certainly no exception.  Each four-panel page is as deftly composed as a Peanuts daily and and shares a deadpan delivery that has much in common with Schulz's, as well.  Jason's fluency with characterization is fully integrated with his rich stock of characters and both are expertly applied here.   Jason!
retail price - $19.99  copacetic price - $16.75





1984

1984: The Graphic Novel

by George Orwell & Fido Nesti
What can we say? If graphic novels are your jam, and you have not yet read (or have only a dim recollection of reading it in high school, when, perhaps, you did not, or were as yet unable to, fully appreciate it) George Orwell's masterpiece, 1984 – one of the key texts of the 20th century – then do yourself a favor and read and/or revisit this classic here.  Fido Nesti's graphic novel adaptation – which (quite fittingly, we think) was originally published in Brazil – does an excellent job of capturing the essence of Orwell's work, maintaining the oppressive mood and incorporating the most important textual elements.  1984 continues, in most respects, to offer a critique of our society that is as germane today as it was in 1948 when it was originally written, unfortunately.
retail price - $22.99  copacetic price - $19.75






HoB
The Hand of Black and Other Stories
by Martin Cendreda
After a lengthy hiatus, Martin Cendreda returns with this collection of largely new, longer stories – along with some key earlier short works that fit well in this mix.  It's been a while since we last heard from him, so it's great to know he's still working and, of course, to witness the fruits of his labors.  Throughout the seven stories collected here – four new and three old – Cendreda demonstrates his distrust of the spoken word by entirely eschewing dialogue, limiting the use of text to only that which appears within the visual diagesis – as written on signs, screens and pages, etc. – sound effects (of which there are many), and the occasional extra-diagetic caption ("and so", "the next morning", etc.).  Taken together with the fact that the entirety of this collection is laid out in a nine-panel grid and rendered in a black & white with red color scheme means the reader is in for a strong and direct visual reading experience, one that Cendreda has designed to mercilessly drag those very same readers – this means you – into the bleak, relentless vortex of a largely – but, crucially, not wholly – malevolent universe where hallucination and horror mix it up with mayhem and murder and absurdity reigns over all.
retail price - $24.99  copacetic price - $21.75




Night Bus

Night Bus

by Zuo Ma
Night Bus
 is the English language debut of Chinese comics maker Zuo Ma (pen name of the artist Zou Jian), a native of Zhijiang in Hubei province. It is a collection of a dozen comics pieces, of which the titular work is by far the longest, as it runs over half of the collection's 400 pages.  So, another way to look at it is that Night Bus is a graphic novel that includes a bonus of eleven short comics stories.  All the works share a lyrical "magical realism" that is likely to remind some readers of Hayao Miyazaki, but with considerably more gritty details than one will encounter in a Miyazaki work.  If that sound interesting, then be sure to check out this high-resolution preview, it's worth a look. 
retail price - $34.95  copacetic price - $29.75






G53-54-MSGrixly Bonus Pack #53 & 54 + Magician's Sleeve
by Nate McDonough, w/Tyler McAndrew
OK, get ready for more "Longboxes" – 28 pages worth, to be exact, as the entirety of Grixly #53 is devoted to the continuing saga of Nate's adventures in the wild world of comic book wheeling and dealing.  From interacting with fellow fans at comics shops, to eBay etiquette, and the trips to the post office in between, the strips that make up "Longboxes" are interspersed with observations, interpretations and self-reflections –  all leavened with the ironic and self-deprecative brand of humor that is Grixly's trademark (aka GrixlyLaffs™).  #54 starts off with another brutal Minions cover and moves on through a series personal anecdotes, remembrances, recollections and reflections on Life in These United States.  A stand out is the untitled pantomime strip that – Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy fans, take note – provides the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything in 42 panels spread out over seven six-panel pages, before setting it up to start over again with a single panel page, asserting the cyclicity of existence... And then, as an added bonus, we're throwing in Nate's 2021 Spooky Halloween collaboration (the fifth) with Tyler McAndrew, Magician's Sleeve: 16 pages of gruesome gore!
retail price - $8.00  copacetic price - $6.00



These items and more may also be found at our eCommerce site, HERE.




New for August 2021



U2Unsmooth #2: BUM
by E. S. Glenn
With the arrival of this, the second issue of the series, it becomes clear that the first was but a prologue. Here, in the 88 full color pages of Unsmooth #2:  BUM, E.S. Glenn opens up new portals and reveals previously unseen dimensions of what will henceforth be known as the Unsmooth Multiverse.  Enmeshed within an encompassing framework of ligne claire bande dessinée, readers will encounter mecha manga (along with a snatch of horror hentai) – plus sub-titled anime videos – New Yorker cartoons (and an old school Penguin paperback), cartooned modern art (along with some graffiti), some classical, newspaper Sunday-page strips, photobooth strips, and more.  Oh yeah, and humans and anthropomorphic animal characters (especially of the avian persuasion) mix it up throughout, pressing readers ever further – and deeper – into the realm of comics signification, where the only reality that matters is the one on the page.  It can be deduced from the evidence provided on – and within – these pages that pain and suffering constitute the Dark Matter binding the dimensions of the Unsmooth Multiverse together – with all sorts of Family Drama forming its core; always at risk of collapsing into a Black Hole.  But, this dark matter is simultaneously propelled outward by Repulsive Forces, and can be seen here to be constantly working its way out any way it can:  the portals into the Unsmooth Multiverse are two-way; dimensional gateways, if you will.  Acting out, drinking out, drawing out, loving out, losing out, shooting out, writing out:  these are but some of the paths along which all this pain and suffering is traveling, each pathway enacting a unique set of transformations as it enters into each reader, each variation multiplying the possibilities, creating endless new realities.  The Unsmooth Multiverse is a quantum state, vibrating between the two poles of binding in and working out, transacting within a Causaloid comics architecture, and in the process instantiating an Amplituhedronic vision of existence.  Amazingly, Unsmooth also makes for an engaging and entertaining read:  fun and funny; action packed; rife with pathos; smart, savvy, insightful and clever – in other words, it's a great comic book!  It all depends on the angle of refraction.  This issue incorporates Glenn's mini-masterpiece, “The Gigs” – originally published in NOW #8, and appearing here in the full A4 paper size that was its destiny – along with seven other short and not-so-short pieces – including the title track, "BUM", which is this issue's centerpiece – that are simultaneously interactive parts of a single unity of which this issue, in its entirety, forms but a tiny part.  Unsmooth #2 requires – and rewards – multiple readings.  >>> Don’t miss it! <<<
retail price - $15.00  copacetic price - $13.75



CZCrisis Zone
by Simon Hanselmann
It's here!  You don't need us to tell you what this is about.  You already know that this oversize, full color, softcover volume collects the entirety of Simon Hanselmann's hugely popular Instagram series of the same name – that has already been heralded as the definitive comics accounting of the pandemic – plus quite a bit of extra art/panels/story that did NOT appear on Instagram, the reason being that Simon works on a twelve-panel grid, but Instagram limits posts to ten-panels. So, Simon, effectively, had to come up with two versions of each day's strip: one that worked in a ten panel sequence read one at a time, and one that worked in the full twelve-panel grid.  This, in and of itself is no small feat, and is a testimony to Hanselmann's strong comics chops.  Additionally, it is a variation on the (very) long running practice of newspaper cartoonists who produce syndicated Sunday pages, in that newspapers employ two different standard formats in printing them, depending – in large part – on page size of the newspaper, one which contains, roughly, the equivalent of two extra panels (although, in practice, this usually means one large panel).  Newspaper cartoonists usually insert a display panel here, rather than one – or two – panels that can be read as part of the narrative, as Simon has done.  Thus, Hanselmann emerges as comics champ! 
retail price - $29.99  copacetic price - $26.75



Celestia

Celestia
by Manuele Fior
In Celestia, we have another stunning work by il maestro dei fumetti d’arte, Manuele Fior.  Beautifully rendered in mixed media, Celestia paints an elaborate scenario which is part science fiction adventure, part romantic courtship, part abreaction of buried trauma; making for a strange, dislocating, labyrinthian drama, but one through which the reader is irresistibly drawn along by its spectacular and enchanting art. Fior reaches new heights here with his closely observed color and its use in the service of composition.  This 268 page hardcover is elegantly printed and designed.  A treat!
retail price - $29.99  copacetic price - $26.75







Providence
Provby Alan Moore, & Jacen Burrows
Providence
 is an ambitious work of meta-fiction that has much in common with Moore’s most celebrated work, Watchmen, most obviously with it’s format as a 12-issue limited series, but most importantly with its similar claim to being a comics masterpiece.  But while the "meta" of Watchmen pertained to superheroes, the "meta" of Providence pertains to horror; specifically the horror of H.P. Lovecraft.  Now, finally, after a multi-year hiatus – the entire series, which originally appeared between 2015 and 2017 – is at last collected in an affordable single-volume, here in this 480 page softcover compendium.  Taking its title from H.P. Lovecraft’s hometown of Providence, RI, Moore clearly intends this epic to be read – in part – as a meditation on Lovecraft’s Cthulu mythos – as well as his life, times and world view.  Providence is like Watchmen too in that Moore lets it be known at the outset that it takes place elsewhere in the multiverse, in a world that is closely parallel to our own, similar in most respects, but yet not the same; perhaps most profitably seen as our world as Lovecraft saw it.  And, finally, the methodically detailed artwork of Jacen Burrows provides a similarly well-suited complement to Moore’s script for Providence as that of Dave Gibbons did for Watchmen. The story’s protagonist is Robert Black, a gay, self-involved writer living in New York City, and opens in 1919.  The story runs on two, parallel tracks – that of the visual mise-en-scène of the comics, and that of the prose recording of the same events in Black’s personal journal, which appear at the conclusion of each issue/chapter.  It is in the parallax view of the variance between these two accounts that the true story – and horror – lies. This double track narrative probes the nature of subjective experience, in the process providing a demonstration of the the powers of self-deception and delusion and ultimately working to flip the relationship between fiction and non-fiction, with Moore positing that it is fiction that is closer to the ultimate truth as unconscious biases and innate ignorances cannot help but distort any reality that is processed by an individual subjectivity, and thus that the "objectivity" of reportage is illusory.  In this way, Providence can be seen as providing a Philip-K-Dickian take on the Cthulu mythos.  The narrative builds relentlessly towards a suitably cataclysmic conclusion, but as in Watchmen, the greatest and most memorable moments occur along the way.  And, Providence could well prove to be Alan Moore’s final major comics work, as he recently signed a contract for a five-volume series of (prose) fantasy novels (he also announced his “retirement” from comics; but we’ve heard that before).  If so, it will be a fitting work to mark his transition as one of its signal accomplishments is in employing comics and prose together in an effective and original synthesis.  Yet it also clearly shows what the world will be losing by Moore’s departure from comics, as it is a work that would not be possible to create in prose alone.
retail price - $29.99  copacetic price - $26.75



INWYT

It's Not What You Thought It Would Be

by Lizzy Stewart
UK comicsmaker, Lizzy Stewart's US debut, It's Not What You Thought It Would Be presents a collection of nine short pieces, each of which has a character of it's own, tailored to its particular subject, yet that together ineluctably cohere into a portrait of a life under construction.  >>> "In beautifully observed moments on buses, in pubs and on rooftops, Lizzy Stewart delicately captures the ebb and flow of friendships over time, and how the long uneventful afternoons of childhood can linger on into our adult lives." – Jon McNaught  <<< • >>> "Each of Lizzy Stewart's carefully fragmented stories deftly takes us on a journey from the tedium of a teenage summer to the uncertainty and anxiety of adulthood.  It is a quietly powerful book, and her well-chosen and often witty dialogue goes straight to the heart.  Her artwork is filmic and beautiful and the muted colors and huge washed skies are the perfect backdrops to this story." – Isabel Greenberg
retail price - $24.99  copacetic price - $21.75




SIFL

Save It for Later

by Nate Powell
Abrams ComicArts sez:  "In seven interwoven comics essays, author and graphic novelist Nate Powell addresses living in an era of what he calls “necessary protest.” Save It for Later: Promises, Parenthood, and the Urgency of Protest is Powell’s reflection on witnessing the collapse of discourse in real time while drawing the award-winning trilogy March, written by Congressman John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, this generation’s preeminent historical account of nonviolent revolution in the civil rights movement. Powell highlights both the danger of normalized paramilitary presence symbols in consumer pop culture, and the roles we play individually as we interact with our communities, families, and society at large."  Interested? Want to read/learn more about this project and/or Nate Powell? Then head on over to this fairly in-depth, half hour interview with Henry Chamberlin.
retail price - $24.99  copacetic price - $21.75




Sensor

Sensor

by Junji Ito
Yes, the latest Junji Ito work has arrived in North America.  Sensor is a standard size graphic novel (in contrast to the mega-length works like Uzumaki and Tomie) along the lines of Remina (but with a dustjacket).  This time around the story delves into the story of a woman who walks alone at the foot of Mount Sengoku. When a man appears, saying he's been waiting for her, and invites her to a nearby village, she discovers that the village is covered in hairlike volcanic glass fibers, and all of it shines a bright gold. At night, when the villagers perform their custom of gazing up at the starry sky, countless unidentified flying objects come raining down on them... and it begins.
retail price - $29.99  copacetic price - $17.75







AOAAArchitecture of an Atom

by Juliacks
While we've been selling Architecture of an Atom in the shop since its initial release – and in fact hosted a release party for it – we, apparently, neglected to list it online.  So, we are hereby rectifying the situation.  Juliacks is a multidisciplinary artist and, in fact, Architecture of an Atom is a work that spans all her disciplines.  In addition to the – quite substantial – comics form it takes here,  Architecture of an Atom also also comprises works in film, theater, performance, painting, drawing, print-making and possibly others!  And so truly merits its designation as a gesamtkunstwerk – and effectively serves to update this term and bring it into the 21st century, as our lived environment today is so wildly different form that of the 19th century when this term was first coined.  Architecture of an Atom is a whirlwind portrait of a psyche coming to terms with its life and times.  It can make for a difficult reading experience.  Any reader looking for narrative or theme will likely struggle for some time and many readers will find the work opaque, yet those who are able to let go of demands and preconceptions of what a graphic novel should be may be rewarded by the experience of direct psychic confrontation that is on offer.  Fans of Brecht Evens, and others, who feel like pushing even further into interiority should at least check this out, and the creator and publisher have both made that easy to do!  Juliacks has created a website that provides an overview of the project in its entirety, HERE.  And publisher, 2dCloud has provided a very generous preview of the graphic novel, HERE.  Check them out and see what you think!  And, if you like what you see, we've made it a bit easier to take the plunge by offering an extra-strength discount on this fairly pricey – but quite hefty – tome.
retail price - $44.99  copacetic price - $35.75




These items and more may also be found at our eCommerce site, HERE.




New for July 2021




CMChartwell Manor
by Glenn Head

Glenn Head's memoir, Chartwell Manor is an open, revealing, and harrowing account of his years spent in a boarding school headed by a deranged and abusive head master – as well as its aftermath.  While the book, being a memoir, naturally focuses on Head's own experiences, he also weaves in a series of vignettes of encounters with other of Chartwell's alumni which, taken together with his own, provide a damning account of the life long consequences of the traumatic experiences undergone there during those formative years.  Most intriguingly, Head effectively demonstrates the ethos of the boarding school as being of a piece with and/or an extension of that of his own parents.  That it was the needs and feelings of the supervising adults that were paramount, and that it was up to the children under their charges to adapt in order to survive.  And, as Chartwell Manor amply illustrates in its 244 pages of hard won black and white comics, these adaptations often took the form of personality mutations and malformations that in turn led to substance (i.e., drug and alcohol) abuse, which in turn amplified these personality changes in a vicious cycle that could – and did – take the better part of a lifetime to escape from and/or work through.  This isn't a book for everyone, but it definitely hit a nerve for many an old school independent and/or underground cartoonist, as these testimonials amply testify:  "This is a great graphic novel!  I couldn't put it down... starkly honest, a powerful story... the level of merciless self-examination – wow! I was deeply impressed.  Head has traveled a long way to get to this point.  This is – well, okay, I'll say it:  A MASTERPIECE! Truly." – R. Crumb  "I loved it! Chartwell Manor is a painful, riveting, and brutally honest memoir – possibly the most honest one I've ever read.  This clearly took a lot of guts to produce, as well a lifetime to process!" – Peter Bagge  "A troubling but important piece of graphic work.  If you're new to Glenn Head's comics, then this book is a perfect place to start." – Noah Van Sciver  "Born too late to be a member of the original Underground, this establishes Head as being on equal footing with the best cartoonists of those tattered ranks.  With his unique cartooning style and lean and mean prose, he is keeping the flame of the original genre alive... He somehow pulls this off with zero pretension, astonishing honesty and understated wit." – Justin Green
retail price - $29.99  copacetic price - $25.75



SF


Stone Fruit
by Lee Lai
Stone Fruit
 is an amazingly assured debut graphic novel from Lee Lai.  Employing a modulating mode of representation that shifts from realistic to figurative as inner states of mind are externalized, Lai relates the unwinding of a fraught relationship.  If that sounds interesting and you'd like to learn more, then we recommend reading Laura Sackton's insightful review of Stone Fruit at the Chicago Review of Books, HERE.
retail price - $24.99  copacetic price - $21.75





AiS

Alone in Space

by Tillie Walden
Alone in Space is a hefty hardcover volume that collects Tillie Walden's first three graphic novels previously published by Avery Hill – The End of Summer, A City Inside and I Love This Part –  along with a pile of short pieces from various obscure sources, all from the same period.  The works here are in black and white, duo-tone and full color, and show the development of her style; they are also accompanied by some brief authorial notes.  Oh yeah, did we mention that most of the work collected here was made by Ms. Walden when she was a teenager?  How!?!  Plus, bonus introductory essay by Warren "SPX" Bernard!
retail price - $32.95  copacetic price - $29.75







5-1
No. 5, Vol. 1
by Taiyo Matsumoto

Finally, the entirety of Taiyo Matsumoto's eight-volume saga, No. 5, will be collected – in four, 300+ page, double-size volumes – in English (translated by Matsumoto's longtime American collaborator, Michael Arias) for the first time!  Originally published in Japan a full twenty years ago, No. 5 is an intriguing and intoxicating amalgam of Matsuoto's international influences, notable among them Moebius, Otomo and Hugo Pratt.  No. 5 is Matsumoto's most daring and experimental work, and readers will have to stay focused to keep up with all the twists and turns.  Those who do will receive ample rewards for their pains, as this series is filled with dazzling artwork as Matsumoto shows off his incredible artistic range.  For those long-time Matsumoto fans who were lucky enough to get their hands on the two volumes published by Viz in 2002-3 – which was as far as it went at that time – please note that this first volume collects those two volumes (along with a new super-wraparound-French-flapped cover and fold out poster).  The following three volumes – which will be released at three-month intervals through April of 2022 – will entirely consist of work appearing in English for the first time.  No. 5 is an epic science fiction / fantasy adventure set in a topsy-turvy world of Matsumoto's own devising where everything looks and feels simultaneously familiar and alien.  So, settle in, buckle up and get ready for some fantastic comics/manga!
retail price - $22.99  copacetic price - $20.00



QotR

Queen of the Ring: Wrestling Drawings by Jaime Hernandez 1980 - 2020

by Jaime Hernandez
The wait is over!  Here in the pages of Queen of the Ring is a selection from the heretofore secret stash of forty – count 'em! – years worth of Jaime's wrestling drawings that have now been nudged out into the open and collected here by Jaime's fellow Fantagraphics-based cartoonist, Katie Skelly, who here dons the editor's hat.  Jaime's comments – transcribed from a December 2020 interview with Skelly – are interspersed throughout this hardcover volume's 128 pages, which present these drawings in high resolution, full color reproductions on a nice, heavy, flat white stock – including those, in the minority, that were rendered simply in black and white, allowing for a good look at Jaime's drawing processes.  One early takeaway from looking over these drawings is that many of the static portraits evince a strong '70s-Kirby feel... more insights are surely to come!
retail price - $24.95  copacetic price - $21.75




And here's a small press comics anthology quartet, featuring a regionally produced trio!


ACAmerican Cult
by
Robyn Chapman
OK, get ready for a roller coaster ride of euphoria and terror, agony and ecstasy, megalomania and paranoia in this 200 page, black and white softcover comics anthology that examines the phenomenon of American cults in eighteen separate works all created especially for this volume and appearing here for the first time.  For the purposes of this anthology, the editor, Robyn Chapman defines a cult as being a group of individuals sharing a belief system that challenges societal norms, who freely cohere around a charismatic – but ultimately totalitarian – leader, for the purposes of forming a community.  These communities share a wide variety of beliefs, ranging from the Oneida Community in mid-19th century New York to the Manson Family in 1960s California, from the The People's Temple of Jim Jones that found its terminus in Jonestown to the Westboro Baptist Church, and many more in between, including MOVE in 1980s Philadelphia.  Also included are a look at the cult-like aspects of branches of Orthodox Judiasm and a fundamentalist Mormon "splinter group."  Chapman has recruited an all-star line-up of North American independent cartoonists to shine a light on these groups.  Here's the creator lineup:  Lara Antal, Brian “Box” Brown, Ryan Carey, Rosa Colón Guerra, Mike Dawson, Lisa Rosalie Eisenberg, Mike Freiheit, Emi Gennis, Andrew Greenstone, Janet Harvey, Josh Kramer, Jesse Lambert, Ellen Lindner, Lonnie Mann, Ben Passmore, Jim Rugg, Robert Sergel, Vreni Stollberger, Steve Teare, and J.T. Yost. 
retail price - $24.95  copacetic price - $21.75




RBR2Rust Belt Review #2
edited by Sean Knickerbocker, w/Asia Bey, Will Dinski, Andrew Greenstone, Alex Nall, Evan Salazar, Audra Stang, Juan Fernandez
Right on schedule, here's the second volume of Rust Belt Review.  Edited and published by certified rust-belter, Sean Knickerbocker, this issue is another over-sized (9 1/4" x 12") issue, nicely printed on flat, off-white stock, but this time around we have an extra 20 pages of comics! (Along with a slightly higher price, as a result.)  Life in the rust belt emerges in a somewhat more unified fashion this time around, as their is plenty of common ground between these stories:  movement, as characters in these stories, drive, ride, bike and walk from point A to point B (and in more that one instance [and more than one way] find their travel interrupted for reaching their destination);  various forms of violence and threats thereof, are encountered, involving the intentional use of weapons as well as the inadvertent use of vehicles; sexual (or sexualized) behaviour is another common thread weaving its way through most of the stories in one form or another, including acts, physical and verbal play, innuendo, and also sublimation.  Each of the seven contributors to this issue takes their own personal approach (about which we hope to have the chance to elaborate a bit on), and so there is a great deal of diversity within this common ground – which is very much the point of a regional anthology!  Plus, an essay by Juan Fernandez, "Comics Is a River."  A solid second issue!
retail price - $12.95  copacetic price - $11.75



iE1
Imperial Egg #1
by Nate McDonough, Dan McCloskey, Jonas Goonface, Audra Stang, M.S. Harkness, Hyena Hell, Steph Neary
Imperial Egg
 is a 48 page, black and white comics anthology printed entirely on newsprint that is the latest project from Pittsburgh-based comics-maven, Nate “Grixly” McDonough, who dons both editor and publisher hats here (and is a contributor as well!). Plenty of Pittsburghers and Copacetic regulars are among the 34 contributors on hand here.  Most of the contributions are one-pagers, but there are a substantial handful of longer pieces as well.  There are plenty of cool comics here – all under an egg-cellent (sorry) cover by Jasper Jubenvill – with pieces ranging from the abstract to the fantastic, from the enigmatic to the straightforward, from graphically bold to delicately rendered, from autobio to science fiction, and more.  Notable pieces include Hyena Hell’s amazingly informative historical (and humorous) two-pager on 14th century Europe that focuses on St. Catherine of Siena, and Daniel McCloskey’s entertaining slice-of-life, “Vantastic Mystery.” We would also like to note here that there is also a brutally gruesome one-pager that, while clearly intended as a graphic object lesson, some readers may, nevertheless, find disturbing; if you think that might be you, our advice here is simply to turn the page and move on to the next piece, keeping in mind that it's only lines on paper... 
copacetic price - FREE!




S

Silence

by M.S. Harkness, Nate McDonough, Hyena Hell, Pete Faecke, Fifi Martinez
Here in the pages of this unique, black and white saddle-stitched comics anthology, Columbus, OH-based comics-maker, M.S. Harkness brings together a cadre of her comics creating comrades to produce some of their trademarked autobio comics... but with a twist.  Here, the creators, instead of writing and drawing their own stories, as per usual, instead share the duties, with each of the contributors drawing the story of another.  Makes for some interesting results, to say the least.  Copacetic mainstay, Nate McDonough's own tale of inner isolation is drawn by Ms. Harkness, while he in turn illustrates Fifi Martinez's tale of a bad connection.  And that spiffy cover is by Alex Graham. 
retail price - $10.00  copacetic price - $9.50







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last updated 30 September 2021