Fashion Forecasts Yumi Sakugawa Retrofit September 2018 It can be difficult to look forward to a new year, especially as the world moves in a downward progression politically and morally. There’s a pressure to reflect on the past year, which means considering how we’ve grown, but also remembering all the negative experiences and difficulties. Fortunately,…
John, Dear is a Stunningly Well-Crafted Comic about Abusive Relationships
John, Dear Laura Lannes Retrofit Comics September 2018 Content warning: This comic depicts an abusive relationship and abuse is discussed in the review. John, Dear by Laura Lannes is not an easy comic to read. In terms of construction and artistry, it should be; Lannes uses holes and a physical body’s literal descent into emptiness…
Ignatz Alert: How to Be Alive
How to Be Alive Tara Booth 2017 Retrofit Comics/Big Planet Comics How to Be Alive turns a collection of Tara Booth’s gouache vignettes into a complicated, intense look at Booth’s everyday life that swings from hilarious to saddening in the turn of a page. From dragging on the layers required to face a cold day…
Crowdfunding Comics Roundup, April ‘18
It’s April! The birds are chirping, the sun has returned to us, and Kickstarter season is in full swing. This month brings us a ton of new exciting projects, from a gorgeous riso-printed exploration of mental health as a freelancer to an own-voices celebration of a Sunday morning in the Bronx. Check them out!
Finding Answers in Sophie Yanow’s What is a Glacier?
What is a Glacier? Sophie Yanow Retrofit June 2017 In What is a Glacier? Sophie Yanow masterfully weaves together a trip to Iceland, a bad breakup, immigration woes, climate change, and anxiety about death into a 32 page meditation. “How do I get better at endings,” she asks herself midway through the book, and it’s…
Small Press Bites: IUDs, Dads, and Gangs
Here are three bite-sized reviews of some shorter books from the infinite to-read pile in my house. Keep an eye out for more round-up reviews as our small press coverage expands! Lovers in the Garden Anya Davidson Retrofit/Big Planet Comics Anya Davidson’s retro style is the star of in Lovers in the Garden, with bright…
Review: MariNaomi’s I Thought You Hated Me
I Thought You Hated Me MariNaomi Retrofit/Big Planet Comics September 21, 2016 MariNaomi has had quite a year, hitting two different pillars of comics storytelling with Turning Japanese and the newer I Thought You Hated Me. I already talked about in my “Inspiring Women Comics Creators Today” contribution about how much I loved Turning Japanese….
Review: Leela Corman’s We All Wish for Deadly Force
We All Wish for Deadly Force Leela Corman Retrofit/Big Planet Comics June 2016 Disclaimer: A copy of this comic was provided by the publisher for review. We All Wish for Deadly Force is a collection of Leela Corman’s previously published short comics, one of which I’ve reviewed here on the site. Corman’s comics range from…
2015 Ignatz Award Nominees
If the Eisner Awards are akin to the Academy Awards of the comics world, then the Ignatz Awards, presented at the annual Small Press Expo, is akin to the Sundance Film Festival. You’ll see some of the same professionals you see in mainstream comics (and many you haven’t…yet), but these projects are different. They’re innovative. Personal….
