| To Top |
RECOMMENDED READING: |
|
by Jordi Bernet & Sanchez Abuli
"When I first met Jordi Bernet in Barcelona
sometime in the middle or early 80's I was still awed by the burgeoning of the
international comic creator community. To most Americans in the
comic book field, European artists were significant because of
the stunning art and brilliant draftsmanship they were introducing
in to the American comic books. So, an introduction (by the late
Josep Toutain) to Jordi's work was a revelation. Here was a man
who was producing pure story-telling art. That is art that uses
the kind of minimalism so singular to his draftsmanship that
is actually a narrative device in itself. This fit into my own
philosophy of sequential narrative art. I pursued the progress
of his work with great interest. I applauded when he undertook
Torpedo because I regarded that story as an immensely difficult
challenge. An oxymoron in heroic comic literature. Here was a
flat-out villain who was somehow actually treated as a multi-faceted
hero. In my opinion I know of no one who could accomplish this
so successfully and with such intelligence as Jordi Bernet."
From the introduction |
|
by Brian Biggs
"This
is a thoughtfully creative book in the vanguard of our medium."
From the back cover blurb
|
|
by Robert Crumb
"Then
suddenly, toward the end of the sixties in California, a group of counterculture
cartoonists that included Bob Crumb began to produce 'underground' comics devoted
to social protest. They were uninhibited, raunchy and irreverent. The appearance
of these crudely printed products was arresting. It was clear
to me, who had so long believed in the literary potential of
this medium, that Crumb and the others had broken through. Their
work eschewed any preoccupation with form and concentrated on
content. They had a message. Because of what they were saying,
they were not part of the mainstream. They violated the comics
code, so they had to find other ways to reach readers. They effected
a change in the distribution system, they attracted adult readers,
and demonstrated the literary capacity of the comics medium.
Under their influence, comics had reached maturity. Bob Crumb
led that charge. His work in particular contained great, mature
social observation and satire. He and his group cultivated the
ground that enabled people like me to undertake subjects of substance
addressed to an adult readership."
From an article included in The Life And Times Of
R. Crumb |
|
by Jules Feiffer
"Jules might not have heard it, but with the publication of
each of the works collected in this volume cheers arose from the
dazor-lit drawing boards where comic book artists and writers piece
worked pages and stitched them together for the comic book factories.
Jules Feiffer was one of (if not) the first of the early writer/artists
to emerge from the comic book ghetto into the literary/art world.
This volume... gives us a chance to see the turing of the corner
in the career of a brilliant man."
From the back cover blurb |
|
by Michael T. Gilbert
"... the pages of [Origins]
vibrates with the kind of kinetic display that takes the reader
on a visual roller coaster ride. I am particularly impressed
by his use of visual symbolism. This is a very important element
in sequential art. His pages abound with novel and imaginative
panelization and his inventiveness seems inexhaustible. Mr
Monster is rich in emotion and narrative. Gilbert is marching
to a wild drummer. He is worth reading."
From the introduction |
|
by Larry Gonick
"Larry Gonick has created a genre all his own. The use of
comic art to tell serious history is a brilliant application
of the medium. The underlying scholarship in this work reinforces
and demonstrates the capability of cartoons as a valid teaching
form... Best of all he is wedding learning with fun. Bravo!"
From the Larry Gonick.com web-site
|
|
by Paul Hornschemeier
"Brilliant! Graphic literature at its best. This
book leaves the comics ghetto far behind."
From the back cover blurb
|
|
by Henry Yoshitaka Kiyama
"A treasure. Like the Yellow Kid and Jiggs
& Maggie, The
Four Immigrants Manga is a splendid and authentic example
of the immigrant literature of the period. More candid and outspoken
than any of its contemporaries, it is a classic that demonstrates
the true literary role of the comics to reflect ordinary life.
It is fun to read. It belongs in every library."
From the back cover blurb |
|
by Scott McCloud
"Bravo!!…Understanding Comics is
a landmark dissection and intellectual consideration of comics
as a valid medium. It's employment of comic art as its vehicle
is brilliant. Everyone…anyone interested in this literary
form must read it. Every school teacher should have one."
From the back cover blurb
|
|
by Mike Mignola
"Mike Mignola is a master of the kind of dynamic impressionistic
art that is influencing the rhythm of modern graphic storytelling."
From the back cover blurb
|
|
by Paul Pope
"Pope's
work is enriched by his fine drawing and use of abstract blacks (shadows) in
telling his tale. He excels in storytelling. He's on the right track."
From the advertising blurb
|
|
by Frederik L Schodt
"Fred Schodt's Dreamland Japan is
the most encompassing and the best introduction to manga I have
ever read. For anyone involved in graphic literature this book
is necessary background reading."
From the back cover blurb
|
|
by Jeff Smith
"Congratulations on Bone I find
it well conceived and altogether enjoyable. You are walking in
the tradition of Herriman and Walt Kelly - Keep Going!"
From the back cover blurb
|
|
by Bryan Talbot
"Arkwright is very imaginative and exploratory
and is really pushing back the boundaries of the comic medium."
From the back cover blurb to Volume 3 |
|
by Osamu Tezuka
"I have been, and continue to be an ardent admirer of Osamu Tezuka, so I am especially
pleased to have a chance to study his brilliant storytelling and narrative art
that rises above the casual style of Tezuka's imitators."
From the Vertical Inc web-site
|
