Sunday, September 25, 2016

It's a Celebration!

National Comic Day is today, September 25th.

Celebrate! Read a book! Share an author or a title or some fun!

Check it out for yourself.

Aardvark-Vanheim

Website: Unable to locate;Here is the link to the Aardvark portal on ComicBookDb.

Style Classification: Single Creator

Notable Works: Cerebus

Story:

Dave Sim is the Canadian grandfather of independent comics. In 1977 he started publishing his Conan-send up Cerebus independently through his own imprint, Aardvark-Vanheim. Over the course of 25+ years and 300 issues, the adventures of the surly aardvark Cerebus gave the world a few things: hope and inspiration for independent publishers as well as a forum for Dave Sim to discuss his specific brand of Canadian philosophy.

That point of view has gotten the man in some hot water through the years, most notably his views on women and his anti-feminist stances taken within the pages of his comics. I don't know enough about these specific controversies, but I'm not one to defend misogyny.

Notwithstanding that, at this point the guy's position in the historical hierarchy of independent comics is basically Rushmore-d.

Cartoon Books

Website: Boneville.com

Style Classification: Single Creator

Notable Works: Bone; RASL

Story:

Jeff Smith founded Cartoon Books as a means of independently publishing his "Bone" comic book series. It is a nod to Carl Barks' "Uncle Scrooge" and answers the question: Wouldn't it be cool if Uncle Scrooge had a twenty year long adventure?

As lushly illustrated as the title Bone-cousins are simple, the complete Bone series is a masterpiece, but anything as influenced by Walt Kelly and Tolkien and Tolstoy as this story is bound to be at least interesting.

I'm lucky enough to be in possession of the door-stopper complete collection, seen below. The sadness creeps in as the story is wrapping up, because you just want it to continue.


This is a story and creator I've suggested to people who harbor specific negative views of the comic industry and its super-hero mainstream.

Abstract Studio

Website: abstractstudiocomics

Style Classification: Single Creator

Notable Works: Strangers in Paradise; Rachel Rising

Story:

The focus this month/day is on three stalwarts from the old school, the veterans of independent publishing.

Abstract Studio is the name Terry Moore's Houston-based independent publisher. They publish Moore's award-winning "Strangers in Paradise", "Echo", and the eventual television show "Rachel Rising."

Terry Moore is an industry veteran who, in the mid '90s, followed in the footsteps of both Dave Sim and Jeff Smith in becoming a hero to the independent publishing world.