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Reviews on this page:

Aprendiz #2

Clutch #16

The Eye Hand of the Carolinas

Papercutter #5

Sourpuss #1

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Science Fiction

Non-Fiction

Clutch #16 by Clutch McBastard

Using the comic-a-day discipline, this sweet little paperback chronicles snippets from the daily life of a struggling cartoonist/zinester/librarian/record label guy based in Stumptown USA (aka Portland, Oregon). Clutch #16 is a printed daily diary in cartoon form. Most of what happens is clear, except the context of some of the relationships between the author and his characters. Fortunately, there's enough humor and amusing patter to keep things interesting. Most of the entries are generally connected, moving the continuity forward from March to June 2003. The production values on this neat little perfect bound book are top notch. I love the simple, open style of the cartoons. It's a very appealing package, published by Tugboat Press, and available from Microcosm.
Artwork © Clutch McBastard

The Gallery #1
edited by Jim Main

"Grim" Jim Main publishes a wide range of zines about Doc Savage, western movies, and comics under the Main Enterprises publishing nameplate. One of his newest titles is The Gallery, that shines its spotlight on the work of small press artists. The first issue is a tribute to the late, great Michael Roden. Roden was a fixture of the independent comix scene since the '70s, publishing dozens of his own zines under the Thru Black Holes brand and contributing to dozens of others. The Gallery offers a great sampler of his wonderful artwork and weird narratives. In Main's interview with the artist, Roden cites Big Daddy Roth and Basil Wolverton as the key influencers of his style. Although most of his work was drawn, Roden also explored photography and collage. This work is represented in The Gallery through a story called The Haunted Castle. It's a fumetti with elaborate models and some collage.

Main's first Gallery offers an excellent sampling of Roden's work and a fitting tribute to a small press icon. The issue concludes with a touching message from Roden's wife, Lin.

Full color covers, 24 b&w interior pages, The Gallery #1 can be ordered through the Main Enterprises website.

For more on Roden, check out Dale Lee Coovert's comprehensive online catalog of Roden's work. Top
Artwork © Michael Roden Estate

LOCs edited by Brad W. Foster

Bewitched by the acronym for Letter Of Comment, long-time science fiction illustrator and cartoonist Foster began crafting whimsical incantations like "Licking Origami Causes Schizophrenia".

Before he knew it, he had dozens of enchanting jabberwockies, each demanding to be rendered! So he called forth a virtual army of 27 of the top science fiction fan artists from the ether and brought his fanciful phrases to life. The resulting 28-page mini is a wonderful combination of loopy constructs and their inspired pictograms. Foster offers this latest creation for a mere $2, along with dozens of other minis, comics, and posters on his colossal Jabberwocky Graphix website. Top
Logo © William Rotsler, Cartoon © Craig Smith

Papercutter #5 edited by Greg Means

Published by Tugboat Press, this zine features comics by Kazimir Strzepek, Liz Prince, Bwana Spoons, and inside covers by Nate Beaty.

The Mourning Star is a 21-page installment of a post-disaster yarn about the warring factions of the remaining civilization as they struggle to gain power in their new world. Strzepek creates an interesting story with great writing, artwork, and layouts.

Prince's Act One: They Meet is a 4-pager about when Liz met Kevin. It's a fun, slice-of-life encounter with well written, realistic dialogue. Prince's simple artwork complements her story nicely and you can't help being drawn into her adventure.

Spoon's contribution is a fanciful tale of funny animals discussing their nemesis over a cup in The Tea Tree. Their quiet conversation rapidly shifts from panic to giggles to fantasy in this free-flowing 7-pager. The swirling panels and page layouts transform to the rhythm of their animated conversation.

Full color cover on heavy paper. 32-page b&w interior. $3 Available from Reading Frenzy, Atomic Books, and Last Gasp. Top
Artwork © Kazimir Strzepek

The Eye Hand of the Carolinas by Andrew Goldfarb

The Eye Hand is an 8-page treasure. Goldfarb is an accomplished storyteller and cartoonist. The artwork is outstanding and the narrative is a creative fable that unfolds with a non-stop flow of entertaining patter. The digest-sized zine is printed on sheets of green paper and stapled together on the left side. My only complaint is that the production doesn't live up to the quality of the content. The printed copy is one color (black), but you can read a two-color version of it on Goldfarb's website. While you're there, be sure to check out his other books! Top
Artwork © Andrew Goldfarb

The Life & Times of "Baby" Otto Zeplin by BT Livermore

This is a wonderful example of how well crafted a small press 'zine can be. In the first issue of this 10 volume series "baby" Otto is introduced and begins his amazing, fake life story. Each 4.25" x 3.75" page consists of a full page cartoon with narrative below. The story is inventive, disarming, and droll. The artwork is crisply rendered in black-and-white with grey tones, and it complements the narrative perfectly. The cover is silk-screened on heavy red stock. A translucent flyleaf with the whisper of an image of baby Otto separates the cover from the 28-page opening adventure. The binding is stitched with red thread, not staples. It looks like the pages were hand-cut, but the slight imperfections only make the package that much more appealing. This is the kind of 'zine you just can't help but want to pick up and hold in your hands. Copies from the first printing of 300 are available online at the Robopocalypse Comics Collective's store. Top
Artwork © BT Livermore

Sourpuss #1 by Robyn Chapman

Sourpuss #1 is the first installment of a new series by Robyn Chapman. With 32 pages of comics, it's an ambitious start and centers on three unpopular friends doing time in a high school in Talkeetna, Alaska. They fill their moments with popular culture and repartee as they pine for the days ahead; away at college and away from the cold and boredom of a tiny town way too far North.

Chapman does a great job telling her tale entirely through realistic dialogue that keeps the story moving and brings her characters to life. Her artwork is simple, engaging, and nicely rendered. The art, story, and panel layouts all work together effectively to deliver first rate alternative comic that leaves you wanting more.

The color cover is silk-screened on heavy paper. The inside pages are printed in b&w on ivory stock with a blue flyleaf sheet imprinted with a map of the big state of the Union. Website. Top
Artwork © Robyn Chapman

No Buses. Chickens.
by Christopher Davis

This 16-page mini comix tells the story of a strange, dark, dream-like encounter between some chickens and a couple of strangers waiting at a strip mall bus stop. Davis' curt narrative plays glibly against the action. When the poultry suddenly attack and devour a woman sitting on a bus stop bench, the remaining laid-back commuter ponders, "I wonder how old I'll be when I die?"

Davis' artwork is nicely rendered and flowing. His choice of framing and panel layouts complement his story well. He slowly draws you in for a closer view of the action, but not too close, because let's face it: these are some mean chicken-scratchin' peckers.

Standard mini comix size, landscape orientation. Cover printed on heavy-weight stock. Insides are text-weight, black-and-white. You can order via Optical Sloth. For more of Davis' work see his Blog. Top
Artwork © Christopher Davis

Aprendiz Book Two
by Adam Suerte

The second edition of Suerte's five part series about his apprenticeship to become a tattoo artist in Brooklyn, NY is another not-to-be-missed self-published comix. The artwork is inventive and beautifully rendered. Whether his cartoons reflect his tattoo artwork or vice versa really doesn't matter. His cartoons look great on paper and the photos of his progressing tattoo artwork are equally impressive and ambitious.

Suerte's story unfolds painfully in this chapter of his five part series. He reaches a critical point in his journey and he's forced to change - either his perspective or his path. Suerte lays out his feeling and doubts with honesty and humility. He closes this chapter upbeat, with a hint of what's to come in Book Three.

After the main event - the comix - Suerte fills out the book with background information on his life in comix and tattoos; his art collective Urban Folk Art; commentaries from his tattoo artist comrades; tattoo photos; a tribute to his supporters; and a summary of his MOCCA memories.

This series provides a fascinating look inside the world of a tattoo artist. It's beautifully rendered and told with honesty, humor, and love. Aprendiz Book Two is available at Optical Sloth or via Suerte's website. Top
Artwork © Adam Suerte

Monsters by Jesse Reklaw

This full-color, micro-mini zine features 16 prints of Reklaw's pencil and watercolor paintings of monsters. With a print run of only 50 copies this 'zine may be difficult to obtain, but you can see all of the images and more on his website. The artwork is imaginative, fanciful, beautiful, and very reasonably priced.

Reklaw also publishes a wonderful comic strip online called Slow Wave. Readers submit their dreams and Reklaw transforms them into a four panel strip that's published every Saturday. It's well worth bookmarking and making a regular part of your weekend surftime! Top
Artwork © Jesse Reklaw

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