An Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons, and True Stories (Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons, & True Stories, Volume 1)

Book Overview

Comic artist Ivan Brunetti, the creator of "Schizo," offers a best-of anthology of contemporary art comics, along with some classic comic strips and other historical materials that have retained a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0300111703
• ISBN13: 9780300111705
• Release Date: October 2006
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 2.96 lbs.
• Dimensions: 10.0" x 1.4" x 7.4"

Customer Reviews

A Great Resource For the Newer Materials

I don't know if there is a softback version of this book, but I got the hardback and it is a bit of a pain to handle; the spine is real stiff and it is heavy and sharp edged; like it would be hard to lug in a back pack to be read on a subway train. If I'm not mistaken, there is no Brunetti material in the book, other than his intro, sequencing, etc.! This was an oversight of Mr. Brunetti's! There are some wonderful artists here, people whose work I haven't come across yet - I'm making a list as I read and googling them and buying their works. In this way the book is a wonderful guide - you could almost call it a buying guide. As mentioned in another review here, the book is hurt by not having a TOC or an index - no index! It makes researching these artists a little harder, but I'm getting around it. This is a must buy for anyone that wants to be up to date on the more recent alt comics. It will be one of the reference works that will be left standing 30 years from now, when libraries and the great learning institutions finally realize how important these works are and teach them in lit courses and collect manuscripts, ha ha. I love the new attention for this genre that I have loved and followed for something like 35 years now, but since it's become mainstreamed the prices have gone up, and we are forced to read pompous, over-intellectualized and uptight reviews by the likes of Gary Groth, etc. I hope they relax one day and stop straining so hard to legitimize this genre; it is getting there in its own way and own time.

A change from the usual comic fare

There is a stark difference between mainstream commercial graphic fiction and the alternative or independent variety featured here. The difference is between Michael Bay and Darren Aronofsky although maybe even Aronofsky is too commercial. In many cases it's the difference between Bay and a college film maker. The point is that mainstream comics are generally intended for safe consumption by a mass audience while independents tend to reflect an artists true vision. Let me just say that this collection is not for everyone and it most certainly is not for children. The stories feature molestation, pedophilia, raw language and graphic nudity both male and female. Don't be fooled by the whimsical cover. Ironically what got me interested in independent artists was a collection from DC comics called `Bizarro Comics' which featured alternate-comic creators doing their takes on the DC characters. Inspired by the unique stories in Bizarro I purchased `McSweeney's Issue 13' which absolutely blew me away. However, my next purchase, `The Best American Comics - 2006' was a big disappointment and led me to wonder if there just weren't enough quality alternative comics produced in a single year to create an entire 300+ page book. Some of the stories were entirely too long and left me wishing they were over. `An Anthology of Graphic Fiction' is an out of the park home run. The author presents comics going back to the 1940's but leaning decidedly towards current stuff. They run the gamut from Aline Crumbs primitive scratchings to Chris Ware meticulous works that look like they came straight from a graphic design class. The writing is much more profane and a helluva lot more gloomy than what you find in mainstream graphic fiction. Someone should do a study on why alternative artists are so depressed. One final point. At the risk of sounding like an advertisement you DEFINITELY get your money's worth with this one. It's 400 pages jam packed with great material. Get this one... get `McSweeney's Issue 13' but skip `Best American' and if you still need more grab up the vastly underrated Bizarro Comics. If you've never experienced some of the alternate comics out there you really should give it a try. It's certainly different and definitely more intimate, honest and thought provoking.

Amazing Introduction for the Non-believer

This is one of the best graphic novel/alt comics anthologies that I have ever read. The choice of selections and their arrangement are outstanding, allowing this anthology to serve as a great introduction for someone not familiar with the form and a terrific read for devotees. Highly recommended, even if you already own Pekar's Best American Comics or Ware's volume of McSweeney's.

good survey of the best artists in comics

Brunnetti's book is quite well put together, and the cover design by Seth makes it a very pretty package as well. The selections make sense and serve Brunetti's purpose of giving a good overview of the best of the underground/independent/small press comics world. It is a great introduction for those unfamiliar with this realm of comics, though for those who are initiated it includes a lot of material that should already be well known. My only dissappointment was having to skip the chunks of it that I already owned or had read in their full form. It serves as a great textbook for a course on comics, which it is in fact being used as and is the reason I bought it. The greatest compliment I can pay the book is that it is like a really good DJ mix tape, flows nicely, no trainwrecks. You get some things that are familiar and some that are obscure. A good buy, but if you're already familiar with some of the bigger artists on this side of the biz, flip through it to make sure you're not shelling for stuff you already have.

Holy Moley!!

I knew this book would be great, but I didn't quite imagine it would be THIS amazing. Perfect choices of stellar material from the cream of the 'alt' comics creators (or insert buzzword of choice here). Beautifully packaged, enticingly laid out, just an amazing confection of visuals presented in a treasure of a book. Perfect for the newcomer hoping to investigate this convoluted 'new' graphic novel phenomenon, and a necessary teaser to entice further investigation. Just right for the dabbler or anyone returning to comix after laying them down however many years ago. - - And a 'must-have' for aging life-long comics nerds like me. Over the years I'd already seen much of the stuff reprinted here, but was very pleased by both the choices of material and the choices of how to sequence them. There's also some amazing pieces by newer, younger creators that I wasn't familiar with at all. There is a flow of subject matter, styles or 'schools' that make this a difficult book to put down. Also the choices of the more vintage material and where they're placed, the placement of the colored pages, and the pages that require you to turn the book sideways. The occasional thoughtful text pieces & Ivan Brunetti's compelling introduction - - Just enough, not too much in a book that remains visual. The particular choices for material excerpted from longer stories - - where in the story it brings you in, how it sucks you in, and the way it ends leaving you wanting more... ...and the printing! The end papers, the dust jacket! It doesn't stop. The choices for how much of a page count certain artists receive are also significant, as well as who gets omitted alltogether. These are all choices that must have been painstaking for editor Brunetti, but I feel they show the book as labor of love imbued with personality, rather than a potentially dryer completist encyclopedia. An important look at the comics scene, every inch crammed with eye candy. Can't say enough good things about this book! (Had you noticed?) It knocked me out, I think anyone who sees it will be recommending it to others for years to come.