The Original Art of Basil Wolverton

The hilarious spaghetti-and-meatball style caricature art of Basil Wolverton has been a huge influence on such art luminaries as Robert Crumb, Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, Robert Williams and Drew Friedman. This publication of The Original Art of Basil Wolverton represents the very first time that the art of one of comicdom's major legacies will be presented in a fine art tome. The entire book is photographed in full color from all original artwork to retain the authentic look of the black-and-white graphics and reproduced at the highest quality available to date. The majority of the work has never been published before. The book is comprised of the collection of Glenn Bray, the premier Wolverton collector. The book includes essays by Bray, Basil's son (and artist in his own right) Monte Wolverton and art writer Doug Harvey.

"I hate this cliche, but it's true: Basil Wolverton's work BLEW MY MIND!!! He's the main inspiration for me to do what I do AND the first to appreciate the beauty in ugliness... I even love his name!" -artist Drew Friedman

About the author:
Glenn Bray met Wolverton in the early 1970's and in the following few years bought most of his stock of unsold original art from the 1920's through the 1960's. He then commissioned him to do new cartoon work, which later brought Wolverton, at the age of 64, back into the spotlight as an artist when PLOP! magazine was published in the mid-1970's.

Price $35.00
www.lastgasp.com

The Comics Show - New Documentary

The writing and drawing of comic books in New Zealand is the subject of a documentary at this year’s Film Festival. The Comics Show will have two screenings at the Academy Cinema as part of the Auckland season – on Saturday 14 July at 1pm, and on Monday 16 July at 1pm. In the Wellington Festival, the film screens (by itself) on Wednesday 1st August at 12.15 and at 1.45 pm, in the NZ Film Archive theatre at 84 Taranaki St.

The Comics Show surveys the history of local comics (including Eric Resetar, the 1950s anti-comic panic, and the arrival of Strips) then focuses on a number of contemporary artists (including Barry Linton, Karl Wills, Chris Knox, Jared Lane, Robyn Kenealy, Coco and Pretika, Jason Brice, Tim Bollinger, Grace Campbell, and Cornelius Stone, among others). It visits comic shops (such as Cherry Bomb and Gotham), websites, events (such as Armageddon, Craftwork and the Eric Awards), and groups (such as Funtime in Christchurch). It looks at comics’ links with animation (such as Ant Sang and Bro’Town) and with music (from Flying Nun to hip hop). It also takes a trip with Dylan Horrocks to the comic shops of Paris, confirming that comics from New Zealand have a growing reputation in the land of la bande dessinée.

Russian Hebrew Poopsheet

Look what I have made for my foreign friends! By popular demand, Jessica's Good Deed in Hebrew and Russian! Click the image to get your copy. And go visit Poopsheet too, hundreds of self-published titles to choose from.

Also new comic series starting soon...

Bramble Bushes

New song "Bramble Bushes" added to the Jessica and the Jawbreakers myspace page. The album is now included in the purchase of the complete set (books #1 - 13) with a price tag of $75.00, otherwise it's $15 and can be purchased on it's own HERE. If your local comic store doesn't have it in stock ask them why they hate comics.

Advance Copies

Early copies of the new Jessica and the Jawbreakers CD/comic can be purchased exclusively from Parsons Bookshop; 26 Wellesley Street East, Auckland City. Maybe great book stores that specialise in Art and photograhpy isn't your thing, perhaps you'd rather purchase it while seeing some great live music? The Brunettes, Teenwolf and Pie Warmer are playing April 27th (Friday) at the Kings Arms, the Jawbreakers CD will be on sale there too. True.

Comic Friend Part 1

The comic that never was. Comic Friend was an aborted attempt to produce a Manga inspired free monthly comic book. It was to be as thick as 2 telephone directories (white pages not yellow) and in full colour, every issue would have had a free novelty gift such as x-ray glasses and toy ray-guns, licensing aggreements for original characters exclusive to Comic Friend were already being argued over between our high price lawyers and cartoon networks. This was, in all likelihood, to be the greatest comic book phenomena ever seen... so what happened? Over the next few posts I will be discussing Comic Friends' steady and calculated downfall by the jealous enemies of the most popular art-form on earth... stay tuned.

Jessica and the Jawbreakers Button #2

Look what I have made for you! Another Jessica and the Jawbreakers pin-back button, this one based on the album cover. A friend of mine wore this to a party and everyone asked her where she got it but she wouldn't tell them so they stole it from her and now I'm not talking to her because she refused to send customers to me. Click HERE to buy something that people will steal from you.

Jessica and the Jawbreakers

At long last, special edition Jessica and the Jawbreakers book #13 is now finished and being shipped out. But you'll have to wait 'til June before it's in the stores, those wise investors that reserved copies are enjoying their comic/CD right now.

Teenage misanthrope Jessica Flowers and her teenage friends form a "pop" band, comedy ensues. Includes audio CD, samples available at the Jessica and the Jawbreakers myspace page HERE. The best book yet! Available June 2007. Limited supply!

Jessica in Japan

Finally going to the printers next week is this translated edition of Jessica's Good Deed and the new Jessica and the Jawbreakers comic/CD! Those that were smart enough to reserve a copy will get a free gift as thanks. So it took a little longer than I thought... I just wanted it to be good. Full colour, 3 stories, trading card and original music. Here's a pointless out-of-context sample panel below.