Unanswered questions about one’s artwork can lead to severe cases of annoyance and personal dissatisfaction. Reading graphic novels has been historically helpful and the ones at Forbidden Planet are usually better. Here are five titles one can comfortably procrastinate with and rest your art brain.
Capacity
Theo Ellsworth’s debut collects a mini run of comic zines he crafted at The Invisible School of Art, Wonder and Imaginary Technology. Drawn as if Maurice Sendak practiced pagan magic, Ellsworth’s artistic progress is seen clearly across the comics’ pages. The honest revelations into the emotional side of the creative process are a liberating read for the frustrated daydreamer. Keep a favorite pen close by.
What It Is
This is Veteran cartoonist/educator Lynda Barry’s first entry in the ongoing series exploring her teaching process. It is a beautiful exercise in the power of words and delivered in a joyful multimedia comic piece. Do not waste your cash on a therapist! Grab a notepad, a pencil and read this book instead!
Art Out of Chaos: An Illustrated Biography of Maxon Crumb
“Art Out of Chaos” is a quiet and powerful book displaying a stark view of Robert Crumb’s younger brother Maxon. Maxon Crumb is one of underground comix’ most powerful secrets and his work often is obscured by its scarcity. Now, at long last, years of drawings and paintings have finally been collected and back in print. Thorough interviews and personal writings from Maxon himself create a compelling biography and allow the “Crumb-curious” reader a deeper understanding into Maxon’s world. Maxon’s unique journey and intense struggle can easily serve as an inspiration for anybody down on their luck.
Kramer’s Ergot 10
Sammy Harkham’s brain fryer anthology has returned and is overloaded with curiosities sure to get any stuck cartoonist’s pen rolling! Packed cover to cover; 30 artists show up to remind you why strict rules never existed in the world of comics. Sammy managed to get something for everybody in this issue and is a premium anthology of today’s comic scene.
The Anthology of Mind
Finnish cartoonist, Tommi Mustrui, landed on my list the same day I started working at Forbidden Planet. His recent compilation of comic shorts is a permission slip for your mind to spill into wild, comic glory. Colorful is the chaos and and encouraging is the experimentation. I look forward to reading Mustrui’s previous graphic novels and getting back to my own sketchbook.
All titles available at Forbidden Planet!
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