Stuff & Nonsense 076: American Utopia

A quick one before, well, you know! Enjoy some comics to read and Kickstarters to back

Hey, how are you? Have you voted yet? Please vote.

That’s all. That’s the newsletter.

Not much else to report - I’m closing in on a draft of Secret Identity, my first standalone crime novel coming from Flatiron Books. I’ll be excited to talk more about it as we get closer to release, but it’s been a real joy to write - and there are some wrinkles to the story I’m eager to reveal. Wish I could say more! But yeah - if you’re in the mood for a 1970s NYC comic book murder mystery - this one’s for you.

Also hoping to have some news about this pretty soon:

Speaking of comics, I’d like to point you to a few new books that I’ve enjoyed:

GIGA #1, from my pal Alex Paknadel and artist John Le is a great look at a world after the mech battles are over, from the gang at Vault Comics. Alex is one of the nicest guys in the business and it’s so great to see him achieve this success.

The second issue of writer Ed Brubaker and artist Marcos Martin’s YA noir, FRIDAY, is up at Panel Syndicate. It’s pay-what-you-want, or pay nothing at all. So, that’s hard to beat. Ed and Marco are two of the best and you’ll really dig this. Grab the first issue if you haven’t, too.

I also got the chance to read Ed and Sean Phillips’ upcoming OGN, Reckless, which is the start of a new series of graphic novels. Not surprisingly, it’s excellent, and it flips the PI genre in ways I can really appreciate. Let your retailer know you want a copy.

Also, while you’re grabbing Friday at Panel Syndicate, pick up Alex de Campi, Ryan Howe, and Dee Cunniffe’s fantastic Bad Karma. I wish more people were talking about this book.

In the “I can’t believe it’s over category” - the final issue of Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky’s quirky, heartfelt, bonkers, and pervy series, Sex Criminals, hit this week with, ahem, #69. If you haven’t read this book, do yourself a favor and start from the beginning. You will be surprised and charmed while also being freaked out. Congrats to Chip and Matt on an awesome run.

Another book I really enjoyed was Blue in Green, a horror/noir/jazz OGN from Ram V and Anand Rk.

With all the changes in the industry and the world spinning out of control, one bright spot in comics has been Kickstarter - which saw record numbers in 2020. I’ve been backing a lot of great projects on the crowdfunding site, so I thought I’d share a few that I’m really keen to see:

Good pals Scott Bryan Wilson and Liana Kangas have put together a killer fast food noir of a comic and I can’t wait to hold my copy. Support it if you can.

Marco Rudy is a fantastic and, I think, underrated artist and stylist. RDW looks to be a really special, personal work.

I’ve known Aubrey Sitterson…forever? He’s a great dude, passionate, and super-talented. His new book, BEEF BROS, is not only hilarious, but very relevant and charming. Tyrell Cannon’s art is also insane.

LINKS AND THINGS

I also posted my latest Spider’s Web column, closing out the legendary Roger Stern/John Romita Jr. run. I just turned in a draft of the next column, spotlighting the subsequent Tom DeFalco/Ron Frenz era. It’s been fun to revisit these comics, and to catch some that I’ve missed. While some stories haven’t aged well, for the most part, the Stern-DeFalco era is pretty solid. Worth revisiting if that’s what you’re into.

The Goodreads Choice Awards are here, and you can write-in my Star Wars novel, Poe Dameron: Free Fall, in the YA SF/F category. Thanks in advance!

That’s all! stay safe, vote, and be kind to each other. It’s crazy out there.

Bye!