diary of a guttersnipe 07/08/2013: when this boy meets world

by Shawn Starr

Brief rant on Top Ten lists and their treatment of prolific artists

Tim Callahan published his "The Ten Best Comics Of 2013 So Far" and correctly gave Michael DeForge the top spot. The problem i see though is that DeForge was given the top spot for his collected works from this year and not for a singular work. I have been guilty of lumping DeForge’s work together on a list before, and in retrospect that practice seems harmful. By lumping DeForge's work into a single entry you discount both the sheer volume that DeForge is able to create in a single year (if he isn’t close to 300 pages of new material a year then i’d be shocked) but also the overwhelming quality of every single one of those projects.

In 2013 (so far), DeForge has released and/or finished 'Ant Comic' (now renamed 'Ant Colony' for its future release by D&Q), 'Lose' #5, 'Very Casual' (a collection but some new material as well), 'X-Mas Comics' #1, 'Pixar's Cars' #1, 'Elizabeth of Canada', 'The Boy in Question' and a couple other mini’s or Tumblr only strips I will remember a month after writing this and kick myself for leaving out (Edit: 'Structures' 24-34).  Five of those books i named are strong contenders on their own merit for being the best book of the year, so by putting them all under one catch-all banner you’re taking five strong books and reducing them to one slot. I have only really seen this practice in relation to mini-comic artists but there are exceptions, for example last year Michel Fiffe’s 'Deathzone'/'Zegas'/'COPRA' tended to be grouped together (but they at least share a thematic tie). I’m intrigued if a similar practice would happen to the big named artists whose books include a thick spine, like if Daniel Clowes dropped a new OGN and three mini comics unexpectedly at SPX would you just call them “the new Clowes stuff”. I’m suspect, anyways i guess Beto will be the true test of this following the 4-5 collected editions of his work debuting this year (the two of which i have read were fantastic).

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made up dialogue for that comic where Buffy fucks Angel from a couple years ago

“you’ve been walking around with a stake all your life, now i have a stake for you”

“i expected his eyes to flare with the same fire i feel when i drive a stake into one of his kind, but there was something else in them...a different kind of fire...pleasure...and i felt every inch of it”

“he digs his teeth into me, i expect to feel pain, but all i feel is warmth.”

“cum, the blood of the dick”

“Sex under moonlight. The only light we will ever make love under.”

(out of ideas----- even the last three felt forced)

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3 weeks of links

Kim Thompson tributes have begun rolling out. The Comics Reporter put out a lengthy overview of Thompson’s career discussing his importance to the field of comics as an editor/translator/critic and publisher, which took me three days and several sit downs to finish it, which seems appropriate when thinking of everything that Thompson accomplished.

Jim Rugg talks to Dan Nadel.

Video of Brandon Graham during his recent European art show.

CF comics. CF video Interview. CF. Cool Fucker.

Box Brown original art sale. I should read more Box Brown comics.

New Al Columbia art. Possibly more to come (at an undisclosed date).

A new issue of COPRA is out, the undisputed best superhero comic on the market.

An SPX panel from last year featuring Los Hernandez Brothers, Daniel Clowes and Adrian Tomine. I wish more shows recorded their panels and/or released them in a timely manner after the show.

New Uno Moralez content. Is it a comic? Is it three separate images? Is it the meaning of life? I don’t know, but the third image is what i think a Roy Crane by way of Ben Marra illustration would look like, and i’m all for that. Also pillow-face has one mighty looking cock.

Audio from the Todd McFarlane and Gary Groth TCJ interview.

….something about Terrence Malick...

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brief Miley interlude

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Youth In Decline announced two new books for spring of next year, a collection of Mickey Z’s 'RAV' and 'Snackies' by Nick Sumida.

Johnny Negron comic for Vice from a few years back that i missed.

Mark Waid article on how DC contracts work.This was a very odd read, kind of like your self identified liberal dad trying to tell you about the injustices of the world but at all points justifying their existence because that's how corporations work. They aren't people my friend.

A interview with Taiyo Matsumoto about his new book 'Sunny', I wish Matsumoto colored his work in its entirety instead of just the first few pages of each installment his sense of color and paint work is superb.

Secret Prison is having a July sale.

20 Images from Aidan Koch’s art show.

Tagame interview

New Connor Willumsen webcomic.

Howard Chaykin interview:

    “I’m long past giving a shit what people think about me and my work. As my wife pointed out to me not too long ago, most of these blogging shitheads are anonymous pussies who’d kill to have my job and my life.”

was the response to beat.