Hey Kids! Comics! Fall’s Back, Fall’s Books
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Below are some comic strip and cartoon books scheduled for September 2024 release.
Images and links from a variety of publishers and outlets,
though ordering through your local comic shop or independent book store is a good idea.
Singular Sensations: A Cultural History of One-Panel Comics in the United States by Michelle Ann Abate
What do The Family Circus, Ziggy, and The Far Side have in common? They are all single-panel comics, a seemingly simple form that cartoonists have used in vastly different ways.
Singular Sensations is the first book-length critical study to examine this important but long-neglected mode of cartoon art. Michelle Ann Abate provides an overview of how the American single-panel comic evolved, starting with Thomas Nast’s political cartoons and R.F. Outcault’s groundbreaking Yellow Kid series in the nineteenth century. In subsequent chapters, she explores everything from wry New Yorker cartoons to zany twenty-first-century comics like Bizarro. Offering an important corrective to the canonical definition of comics as “sequential art,” Abate reveals the complexity, artistry, and influence of the single-panel art form.
The Close to Home 30th Anniversary Treasury by John McPherson
This special anthology celebrates three decades of John McPherson’s quick-witted and zany characters, whose unconventional and twisted humor make Close to Home one of the funniest cartoons in the comics world!
Close to Home Classics presents the best cartoons from the strip’s repertoire, representing the major themes that have played out in its history: school, medical, office, kids, marriage, and sports. John McPherson has selected the best of the best in each category and he provides commentary on the strips. The book includes a section with a brief tutorial on how he creates the cartoon. This compendium of McPherson’s funniest comics includes over 800 comics hand-selected by the author and his editors.
Latino USA: A Cartoon History 25th Anniversary Edition by Ilan Stavans and Lalo Alcaraz
In Latino USA, Latin American and Latino scholar Ilan Stavans captures the joys, nuances, and multiple dimensions of Latino culture within the context of the English language. Combining the solemnity of so-called serious literature and history with the inherently theatrical and humorous form of comics, this cartoon history of Latinos includes Columbus, the Alamo, Desi Arnaz, West Side Story, Castro, Guevara, the Bay of Pigs, Neruda, the Mariel boatlift, Selena, Sonia Sotomayor, and much more.
Updated to bring the book up to the present moment, this twenty-fifth anniversary edition includes thirty new pages of Latino history, from Hamilton to George Santos. Latino USA, like the history it so entertainingly relates, is a treasure trove of irreverence, wit, subversion, anarchy, politics, humanism, and celebration.
The MAD Files: Writers and Cartoonists on the Magazine that Warped America’s Brain! edited by David Mikics (Excerpt from David Mikics’ introduction)
The MAD Files celebrates the magazine and its creators, the self-styled Usual Gang of Idiots who transformed puerile punchlines and merciless mockery into an art form. Twenty-six essays and comics present a varied, perceptive, and often very funny assessment of MAD’s significance. Art Spiegelman, Roz Chast, and Chris Ware recall what MAD meant to them as children; David Hajdu and Grady Hendrix zero in on MAD’s hilarious spoofs; Liel Leibovitz delves into the Jewishness behind the magazine’s humor; and Rachel Shteir amplifies the unsung genius of MAD’s women artists. Several contributors offer admiring profiles of the individual creators who made MAD what it was: Mort Drucker, Harvey Kurtzman, Al Jaffee, Antonio Prohías, and Will Elder.
For die-hard fans and newcomers alike, The MAD Files is an irresistible, indispensable guide to America’s greatest satire magazine.
Day One Dictator by G.B. Trudeau
Volume V of the Doonesbury Trump Quintet tracks the ever-metastasizing Big Lie, with Mark offering a month-by-month calendar to track the Former Guy’s burgeoning court dates. Unfortunately for the Trump Innocence Project, it turns out almost all the witnesses are former aides or allies. How did Dems manage to weaponize Trump’s friends? While readers puzzle over that, they can also play a life-of-crime board game — Donald Trump’s Spree. The only way to win, of course, is to cheat, but no problem — it’s been normalized.
Fortunately, this volume also features the Doonesbury regulars, with Alex and Toggle raising three free-range kids and Mike happily wallowing in grandpahood. Mr. Covid retires, proud to know his wilier, more adaptive descendants will keep taking the fight to the unvaxxed. Joanie thinks Rick’s latest story is the best thing he’s ever written: too bad it was actually authored by ChatGPT. Roland and Rascal, wading through Ukrainian snowdrifts, blunder into a Meta crack-up.
Amazing Grapes by Jules Feiffer (New York Times review)
Pulitzer Prize–winning cartoonist Jules Feiffer brings the fantastical to life with his signature style in this zany, whimsical adventure about a family on a quest to find their mother and save another dimension.
Curly and Perlie, brother and sister, find themselves transported to the Lost Dimension. Soon they are joined by big sister Shirley and their very special Mommy. Marvelous adventures await the whole family in that weird dimension. Come along and see for yourself!
The Illustrated History of Warren Magazines Revised and Expanded Edition by Peter Richardson
and utterly wonderful house of Warren. From writers, artists, editors and the man behind it all, James Warren. This revised and expanded edition with 8 extra pages, presents a story that is unique in the annals of publishing and is a must have for any Warren enthusiast’s library.
This issue focuses on the history of James Warren’s mould-breaking line of comix magazines that showcased the work of some of the greatest fantasy artists and writers.
Featured in the issue are such greats as Neal Adams, Richard Corben, Reed Crandall, Steve Ditko, Frank Frazetta, Pepe Gonzalez, Jerry Grandenetti, Carmine Infantino, Sanjulian, John Severin, Kenneth Smith, Alex Toth, Vaughn Bodé, Tom Sutton, Wallace Wood, Bernie Wrightson, Ken Kelly and a host of others.
Zits: Current Mood: The Complete 2022 Collection by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman
Relish in the glory of teenager years in the classic American adventures of 17-year-old Jeremy Duncan and his bewildered parents, eclectic friends, and elusive girlfriend in this all-new collection of Zits comic strips.
Current Mood = hanging out with friends, staying up late, eating pizza, playing guitar, procrastinating your homework, being buried in your phone and/or dirty laundry (did we mention eating pizza?). In short, all of the good things about life as a teenager. With this collection of the entire run of 2022 Zits comic strips, readers can relive their own teenage years as if they were yesterday by living vicariously through teenager Jeremy’s adventures with his friends and family.
A Great Big Visual Hug: Heartwarming Wawawiwa Comics by Andrés Colmenares
Like a warm embrace in comic strip form, the cute, cuddly, and clever illustrations by Andrés Colmenares bring joy to millions of readers across the globe. A Great Big Visual Hug collects many of his most popular comics, along with dozens of never-before-seen images that are both heartwarming and hilarious.
Featuring cheerful characters like sloths, broccoli, snakes, cacti, pigs, and the cutest possible version of just about any animal or object you can imagine, Andrés Colmenares’ comics are wholesome, amusing, clever, and often hilarious. This book collects the greatest hits from his popular series and feature dozens of new comics. A Great Big Visual Hug is great for all ages and an excellent birthday, gift, or self-care purchase.
Drawn Testimony: My Four Decades as a Courtroom Sketch Artist by Jane Rosenberg (author inteview)
For over forty years, Jane Rosenberg has been at the heart of the news cycle, covering almost every major trial that has passed through the New York justice system as a courtroom sketch artist, including the most recent Donald Trump hush money trial.
In Drawn Testimony, Rosenberg brings us into the dramatic high-stakes world of her craft, where art, psychology and courtroom drama collide. Over the course of her legendary career, Jane has had a front-row seat to some of the most iconic and notorious moments in our nation’s recent history
The Complete Peanuts 1993-1994: Vol. 22 Paperback Edition by Charles M. Schulz
The Complete Peanuts 1991-1994: Vols. 21 & 22 Gift Box Set by Charles M. Schulz
In the 22nd volume of The Complete Peanuts, new in paperback, Schulz’s cartooning has never been more expressive, and the strip continues to surprise and delight. Welcome Andy to the cast of characters, as all three dog brothers reunite to cheer on Snoopy, who bounces back from a bout of pneumonia. In other news, Charlie Brown is a baseball hero after hitting a game-winning home run. Linus lobbies the White House to nominate Snoopy for an open Supreme Court seat (alas, he doesn’t make the cut). And Woodstock discovers his long-lost grandfather’s diary, recounting the indignities of life trapped in a (gasp!) birdcage.
A new box set collects the latest two volumes (Vols. 21 and 22) of the paperback series. The Complete Peanuts is the publishing project that launched a renaissance in comic strip publishing and the only place Charles M. Schulz’s classic has ever been collected in its entirety. Featuring impeccable production values, each volume of this series features two successive years of newspaper strips (dailies and Sundays), plus bonus material such as celebrity introductions, interviews, and a brief biography of Schulz himself.
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 93, November 26, 1887
“Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 93, November 26, 1887” is a fascinating compilation from the renowned British satirical magazine, “Punch”. Known for its clever humor and sharp wit, this volume reflects the social and political landscape of late 19th-century England. The contributors, a diverse group of writers and artists, masterfully blend illustrations with prose, creating a satirical commentary on contemporary issues that resonate even today. This edition showcases the signature style of “Punch”, characterized by lighthearted mockery, exaggerated caricatures, and a keen observation of human nature. Readers can expect a delightful combination of political satire, social commentary, and amusing anecdotes, all wrapped up in the charm of Victorian humor.
Inks, the Journal of the Comics Studies Society Volume 8, Issue 2, Summer 2024
Inks, the journal of the Comics Studies Society, features scholarly research on sequential art, graphic narrative, and cartooning. The journal seeks to bring together scholarly essays, archival materials, and insights and discoveries from leading comics professionals. Inks highlights scholarship from a variety of disciplines and invites essays on all periods of comic history, as well as considering both a US or an international comics focus.
Good as Goldie: A Breaking Cat News Adventure by Georgia Dunn
This just in: There’s a new cat in the neighborhood and she is all kinds of mysterious!
The Breaking Cat News crew has never met a cat quite like Goldie before. Street smart, wildlife savvy, and determined to solve the mystery of how her People vanished, Goldie is here to turn life in and out of the studio upside down! Along the way they’ll meet trash collecting raccoons, a fork wielding squirrel, and one brave little chipmunk!
Go undercover with Tommy and Beatrix as Goldie gets to the bottom of this case with the help of Lupin’s (stolen) tape recorder. It’s an exciting adventure for the BCN team with friends old and new, and you’re invited!
The Mad Art of Caricature! by Tom Richmond (12th printing)
The Mad Art of Caricature! is perhaps the most comprehensive and complete how-to guide on the art of caricature ever published. With over 500 illustrations, it’s the definitive guide to the art of caricature. In it, award-winning caricaturist and illustrator Tom Richmond shares his secrets to creating great caricatures, drawing on his 30 years of experience teaching live caricature techniques and producing award-winning humorous illustrations and caricatures for publications, books, advertising, video games, film, television animation, and clients like MAD Magazine.
The World She Edited: Katharine S. White at The New Yorker by Amy Reading
In the summer of 1925, Katharine Sergeant Angell White walked into The New Yorker’s midtown office and left with a job as an editor. The magazine was only a few months old. Over the next thirty-six years, White would transform the publication into a literary powerhouse.
This exquisite biography brings to life the remarkable relationships White fostered with her writers and how these relationships nurtured an astonishing array of literary talent.
Ms. White relationship to The New Yorker‘s cartoons began early in the magazine’s history (she began working there in the summer of 1925). After a short stint as the artists “hand-holder” — giving the artists the bad news if they did not sell work in a given week — she became, in her position as head of the fiction department (quoting the magazine’s former Art Editor, Lee Lorenz here*): “A powerful voice in the selection of the magazine’s art.” The cartoons fell under the auspices of the fiction department until 1939
Big Nate: Remain Calm! by Lincoln Peirce
Middle school can be a hot mess—especially for sixth-grader Nate Wright. Whether he’s bluffing his way through an oral report about…umm…some random war, peer-reviewing a classmate’s story about cats, or writing a book report on a literary gem called The Cheerleader Chronicles, Nate’s usually up to his eyeballs in stress. But our hero always finds ways to cope. Like bringing Spitsy to school as an emotional support dog. Or creating a graphic novel to (sort of) complete his math homework.
The Family Car Road Trip by Wally Falk
Bus Busters: Expanded Edition by Wally Falk
The 1950s and ‘60s were the classic era of the American road trip. With cars having become ubiquetous and airfare still unaffordable, we took our vacations in our sedans and station wagons. We traveled endless stretches of asphalt during the day by following the lines on awkwardly-folded maps or AAA Triptiks. We squeezed intogether each night at motels, motor lodges, and campsites at night. The travel time was filled with license plate games and back seat battles, with stops for gas, service station bathroom breaks, natural wonders, bizarre roadside attractions, and if you were lucky, a pecan log. Wally Falk was there to chronicle it all. A former bus driver, he knew the nation’s roadways like few others. His daily syndicated comic panel The Family Car chronicled our love for and struggles with our vehicles and our destinations.
What do you get when someone with fifteen years experience driving big Greyhound buses turns into a nationally syndicated cartoonist? You get Bus Busters, filled with cartoons by bus-driver Wally Falk showing the beleaguered drivers, the amusing and often clueless passengers, and the joy and surprises to be found traveling America’s highways. Bus Busters first and last saw print in 1954, but now it’s back, with not only all of the cartoons from the original edition, but also dozens more, selected from the run of Falk’s syndicated newspaper panel “Kickin’ Around”.
Adventures in Animation by Richard Williams and Imogen Sutton (excerpt)
Triple-Oscar-winning, world-renowned animator – and author of the seminal book The Animator’s Survival Kit – Richard Williams’ legendary career in the world of animation is brought to the page here for the first time.
Written with his wife and collaborator, Imogen Sutton, Adventures in Animation follows the life and career of this pivotal figure in animated features, from the influential moment when, aged five, Williams saw Snow White, right through his career of more than sixty years.
Hope It All Works Out! A Poorly Drawn Lines Collection by Reza Farazmand
On the surface, the animals in Poorly Drawn Lines are sophisticated, decadent creatures — Turtle sports a beret, Snail wears shades, Bird smokes cigarettes, and Mouse assumes a fighting stance when anyone challenges his emotional fragility. But lurking beneath their surface images is a surprising warmth and charming naivete that provides the perfect setup for Reza Farazmand’s unparalleled sense of humor. This author-curated collection of new comics and greatest hits showcases the unique and charming world of these small animals and the amusing gap between their tough guy images and animal innocence. Familiar to millions of readers of the Poorly Drawn Lines webcomic and FX animated series on Hulu, this book collection includes dozens of never-before-seen comics.
Giles The Collection 2025 by Carl Giles (background)
The Giles Annual is a British institution as reassuringly familiar as a red pillar box or a black cab. This is a brand new collection of work from the 20th century’s greatest cartoonist, bringing together some of his most celebrated artworks and capturing working people in hilarious, satirical scenes. Hospital staff, council workers, policemen and politicians all get the Giles treatment to bring British life and eccentricity into sharp focus.
Many of the cartoons feature his iconic, dysfunctional family, and are packed with tonnes of detail to pour over.
With 150 artworks and captions to give contemporary perspective, Giles 2025 will delight all of those who love his work and collect the annuals.
Fort Wayne in a Nutshell: A Cartoon Retrospective by Steve Smeltzer (cartoonist interview)
Fort Wayne in a Nutshell: A Cartoon Retrospective is a collection of 75 funny, full-color, and family-friendly cartoons about the people, places, and things in Indiana’s second-largest city, Fort Wayne, IN.
Each page includes a funny cartoon and a helpful paragraph describing the cartoon’s connection to Fort Wayne culture, from building the first fort to modern times. For instance, in addition to a cartoon about the Fort Wayne Three Rivers Festival, that page also includes a paragraph that contains a brief history of when, where, and how the first festival began.
Breaking The Chain: The Guard Dog Story by Patrick McDonnell (McDonnell signed edition)
In October 2023, nearly three decades after his debut, Guard Dog’s freedom story began to unfold in newspapers and online. After being abandoned by his owner, left alone and suffering, Guard Dog was discovered by his animal friends Mooch and Earl, and ultimately rescued by Doozy, a kindly neighborhood girl, and Ozzie, Earl’s guardian. After years of visiting Guard Dog to provide him with comfort and support, Doozy adopted him—marking the end of a long life of neglect and the beginning of one filled with love and safety.
featured image from The Buckets by Greg Cravens
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