Post Y2k comics- grab your copy of McSweeny's #13

[pumpduncan]

Nostalgia rules! Ok?

Who else has thought the early 00's was a golden age for comics?
Let's say 99-05.

Giant Robot was in every Barnes and Nobel and repping all kinds of comics/cartoonists
For better or worse Blankets and Goodbye Chunkie Rice were speaking to the suburban youth
American Splendor and Ghost World were the face of comic books movies and getting good people big paychecks
McSweeny's did their comics issue, and a great issue it was
Gary Baseman had crossover appeal
Vertigo was throwing money at Los Bros
Marvel was trying to get out of bankruptcy and Grant Morrison and Peter Milligan were doing interesting things to try to right the ship
Johnny Ryan was on tear


Share your fondest thoughts here!

[zoddman]

Sept 20, 2021 23:38:59 GMT pumpduncan said:

Johnny Ryan was on tear

Have you seen his Instagram? He's STILL on a tear!

I agree on Giant Robot, I miss that magazine so much. I have all of my issues of it still. The Giant Robot store is still around and they still regularly host art shows, Eric Nakamura is still doing stuff, but it just isn't the same without the physical magazine around.

For better or worse Blankets and Goodbye Chunkie Rice were speaking to the suburban youth

I still think Thompson is an incredible artist but maaaan, his work is so masturbatory and completely lacks self-awareness. I'll flip through Blankets and appreciate the art, don't think I'll ever legitimately read it again. His European and North African travel book is gorgeous too, but everything in it comes off like "Hee hee I'm so attractive to sexy European women who let me draw them naked, aren't I such a goof?"

[k0rnbr34d]

Sept 20, 2021 23:38:59 GMT pumpduncan said:

For better or worse Blankets and Goodbye Chunkie Rice were speaking to the suburban youth

That was me being spoken to, lol. I know what you mean. I don't think I could ever read Thompson again (even just aesthetically, he fits into that group of cartoonists who feel more like "illustration majors." You know what I mean?), but Blankets was the first graphic novel I read after reading some Bone in middle school. I was shocked by the size of it at B&N, bought it on a whim, and read it in one sitting. Totally shook me up and got me started on a new love for comics after growing up reading newspaper strip collections.

[kevinfong]

Habibi really put me off, but I gave Ginseng Roots a try and it is definitely worth reading. It is so engrossing and the pacing is wonderful.

But back to the topic -- Milligan is one of my all time faves. Shade the Changing Man is a great series and all his other Vertigo mini series are gems too.