Rich Kreiner « The Comics Journal

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Tales Designed to Thrizzle #6 By Michael Kupperman

Posted by Rich Kreiner on July 15th, 2010 at 12:01 AM

I feel like Steve Martin’s character in the movie The Jerk where he dances for joy at the gas station loudly proclaiming to all within earshot, “The new phone book is here! The new phone book is here!”

Rich Kreiner: Minis Monday: Blood Moon: A Love Story

Posted by Rich Kreiner on July 12th, 2010 at 1:00 PM

At the beginning of Minis Monday’s Second Season a month ago, I lamented the fact that I didn’t get to meet nearly enough of the new-to-me cartoonists at the most recent Maine Comics Arts Festival, let alone gather their wares. Naturally since then I’ve been doing nothing but reviewing the work of new-to-me cartoonists.

Rich Kreiner: Simpsons Comics Presents Bart Simpson #53 by Carol Lay and others

Posted by Rich Kreiner on July 6th, 2010 at 12:01 AM

With Simpsons Comics Presents Bart Simpson #53, Carol Lay joins the House of Bongos. Lay, particularly with her syndicated strip Story Minute, has proven herself a concise weaver of — on occasion — tall tales of — on occasion — resonance and purpose. It’s the same with this comic’s lead story.

Rich Kreiner: Minis Monday

Posted by Rich Kreiner on June 28th, 2010 at 1:00 PM

One is not often introduced to a young cartoonist the way I was introduced to Eric Baker. At the most recent Maine Comics Arts Festival, I picked up no fewer than five comics of his, each in a different format with different designs, styles and intents.

Minis Monday: The Way It Crumbles by Dan Mazur

Posted by Rich Kreiner on June 7th, 2010 at 1:00 PM

Judging by his contributions to the group’s serialized anthology Inbound, Mazur is a member in good standing of the Boston Comics Roundtable.

The Wellspring of Minis Monday (which comes on Tuesday this week thanks to the long weekend)

Posted by Rich Kreiner on June 1st, 2010 at 2:23 PM

Many an installment of this column has opened with an acknowledgment of the Maine Comics Festival in exposing me to a mini, handmade, self-published or small-batch comic. In truth, more posts could have begun the same way. The convention in Portland remains the font of funnybooks that sustains and refreshes Minis Monday.

Rich Kreiner’s Yearlong Best of the Year: Hate Annual #8 by Peter Bagge

Posted by Rich Kreiner on May 25th, 2010 at 1:00 PM

Peter Bagge’s very first Hate Annual back in 2001 had an eight-page Buddy Bradley story, another seven-pager introducing the character Lovey and three pages of comics in which Johnny Ryan didn’t “get” the first Matrix movie.

Minis Monday: Breakfast at Mimi’s; Mimi’s Doughnuts Zine Volume 1 By Marek Bennett

Posted by Rich Kreiner on May 24th, 2010 at 1:00 PM

As was the case last week, “Minis Monday” is again something of a misrepresentation. There’s nothing mini about Volume 1 of Breakfast at Mimi’s, Marek Bennett’s self-published compilation of his strip Mimi’s Doughnuts.

Yearlong Best of the Year: Little Nothings: Uneasy Happiness By Lewis Trondheim

Posted by Rich Kreiner on May 19th, 2010 at 1:00 PM

Uneasy Happiness presents an eminently accessible idea. Conceptually it’s loaded with entry points and hooks for would-be commentators. It’s easy to describe. The Little Nothings books are diaries of one-page strips in which Trondheim offers his reflections, sometimes developed, sometimes not, on moments of his daily life.

Minis Monday: The Ragbox Vol. 1

Posted by Rich Kreiner on May 17th, 2010 at 1:00 PM

This time around the “minis” designation of “Minis Monday” is more inelegant than usual. Instead we have a book, volume one of Ragbox. It contains the first three chapters of what is announced to be— and convincingly begun as—a far-reaching tale of an urban neighborhood as experienced by two young siblings.

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