Thursday, November 28, 2013

Sparkplug at Short Run This Weekend!

We are so excited for our upcoming attendance at Short Run in Seattle! Held on Saturday, November 30, from 11:00am to 6:00pm, Short Run is a one-day free event that showcases makers of art books, zines, comics, and animation. It was founded to strengthen and celebrate the Pacific Northwest's small press community and act as an alternative to large-scale commercial conventions. Short Run focuses on regional self-published works, limited editions, and handmade books. This year it will take place at Washington Hall, located on 153 14th Ave.; the event will be followed by a comics prom at 7:30pm. Sparkplug will be tabling with lots of great books, new and old, at table F-26, and our own Virginia Paine will be speaking on the panel "Women in Comics" at 12:20pm. We can't wait to be a part of this amazing event, and we hope to see you there!

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Short Run Prom
 

Friday, November 22, 2013

Sparkplug Highlights: The Natural World, by Damien Jay

If you love stories about witch trials, medieval small-town politics, and religious hypocrisy, THEN WHAT ARE YOU DOING RIGHT NOW NOT READING THE NATURAL WORLD?! Seriously -- do yourself a favor and pick up the first four issues as soon as you're done reading this blog. An entertaining and gripping account of a medieval hamlet's encounters with witches (real and imagined), forest spirits, and violent brigands and the convoluted relationships between the townspeople, The Natural World is at its heart a timeless story about people -- scared people, power-hungry people, people with secrets, and people just trying to get by.

Jay introduces a fascinating cast of characters who orbit around each other throughout the course of his four issues: a simpleton who understands more than people give him credit for, his brother who rails against licentious witches one hour and cheats on his wife the next, a man driven out of the town and left to fend for himself in the forest, a pack of thieves, a courageous woman who wants more out of her paramour than he's offering, a friendly dog, and a bizarre and otherworldly entity who lives in the woods and communicates incomprehensible messages. When the threat of witches in their midst arises, the town begins to turn on itself; meanwhile, something in the forest grows stronger. . .

Jay's art is wonderful to behold. He skillfully combines a classic cartoon aesthetic with delicate watercolors, his graywashes adding depth and sophistication to each panel. With a few lines, his character's expressions are rendered clear as day; his backgrounds range from nonexistent (used when drawing attention to the characters at the forefront) to lushly detailed (especially when he's depicting the forest or the rolling hills surrounding the town). Jay also has a serious flair for the comedic: there are so laugh-out-loud funny bits of dialogue, the adorable dog is the perfect goofy canine companion, and there are even a couple of classic cartoon fights, complete with disembodied eyes and fists in a giant cloud of dust and stars. This is a comic that moves smoothly between serious art and funnybook silliness with ease. Grab it today, and be on the lookout for issue #5!







Wednesday, November 20, 2013

New in the Store: Making Tide and Just Noise!

We have two new additions to the store today from the incomparable Eroyn Franklin: Making Tide and Just Noise. Vastly different in execution, they are both amazing works of art and storytelling.

Just Noise is a tiny marvel of intricacy. A dialogue between a couple whose actions speak louder than words, the speech bubbles between them are are cut-out voids, leaving it up to the reader to intuit what is being said a creating a beautifully layered effect as the pages stack on top of each other. This is a must read for not only fans of Franlklin's work but also aficionados of cut paper.






Making Tide, on the other hand, is a departure from Franklin's wordless, high-concept comics. It stands on its own, however, as a testament to Franklin's prowess in many different media. A selection of stories that deal with a trip to Vietnam, the creative process, serious bodily harm, and love, her dreamily painted landscapes and carefully inked characters will draw you in and take your breath away.



Just Noise is a tiny marvel of intricacy. A dialogue between a couple whose actions speak louder than words, the speech bubbles between them are cut-out voids, leaving it up to the reader to intuit their meanings and creating a beautifully layered effect as the pages stack on top of each other. This is a must read for fans of Franklin's and aficionados of cut paper. - See more at: http://sparkplugcomicbooks.com/shop/distro-books/just-noise/#sthash.TZf5io0i.dpuf
Just Noise is a tiny marvel of intricacy. A dialogue between a couple whose actions speak louder than words, the speech bubbles between them are cut-out voids, leaving it up to the reader to intuit their meanings and creating a beautifully layered effect as the pages stack on top of each other. This is a must read for fans of Franklin's and aficionados of cut paper. - See more at: http://sparkplugcomicbooks.com/shop/distro-books/just-noise/#sthash.TZf5io0i.dpuf
Just Noise is a tiny marvel of intricacy. A dialogue between a couple whose actions speak louder than words, the speech bubbles between them are cut-out voids, leaving it up to the reader to intuit their meanings and creating a beautifully layered effect as the pages stack on top of each other. This is a must read for fans of Franklin's and aficionados of cut paper. - See more at: http://sparkplugcomicbooks.com/shop/distro-books/just-noise/#sthash.TZf5io0i.dpuf

Thursday, November 14, 2013

New in the Store: Cavities Sampler!

Please join me in welcoming cartoonist Erin Griffin to Sparkplug's shop! Her comic, Cavities Sampler, is too cute for words. Showcasing glimpses of Griffin's life, her round and cheery style is adorable, even if her stories sometimes hint at a sadness below the surface. Though Cavities Sampler occasionally recalls the lighter stories of Lynda Barry or the more sadsack episodes of Charlie Brown, Griffin's style is undeniably her own. Lovingly handcrafted, bound with purple wire, and hand-numbered as part of a limited run of fifty-six, you definitely don't want to wait to get your copy!





Sparkplug Highlights: Crooked Teeth, by Nate Doyle

Nate Doyle has a style and a life that makes for great comics -- the stories in Crooked Teeth are fast, engrossing, and heartfelt, and his art manages to come across brilliantly whether it leans more towards classic cartoon or dashed-off sketch. The issues we have in stock contain pieces from his ongoing fantasy story, "Bowl of Flies," miscellaneous sketches, and autobio comics.

"Bowl of Flies" is a hauntingly atmospheric story about a traveler, mysteriously marked, who encounters a terrifying spirit in the woods and is then shunned by the townsfolk he encounters . . . until he meets a woman in a pub who implores him to share his story. Its amazing character design and high fantasy feel will have you eager to read the next installment!

His autobio comics are joys to read, in a completely different way: spanning both sides of the country and exploring different punk subcultures, old friendship, crushes and love, the touring life and live shows, and fighting through uncertainty and depression, they contain episodes that almost anyone will relate to. Nate's stories make you feel like you're not alone in your experiences, and for that alone, they are worth reading.





Tuesday, November 05, 2013

Sparkplug Highlights: The Would-Be Bridegrooms, by Shawn Cheng

The first thing that catches your eye about The Would-Be Bridegrooms is the fact that it's hand bound. How often do you see that anymore? The red thread binding is set off by the intensely yellow cover and striking single cover image; these things, combined with the book's slightly unusual size, make for an incredibly enjoyable tactile experience that sets it apart from a sea of minicomics.

Okay: so the book is well-made and nice to hold. But this is just a hook to get you to look at the lovely story contained within it. Shawn Cheng's The Would-Be Bridegrooms is a tale reminiscent of ancient myths and classic fables. It tells of the rivalry between Rabbit and Fox, who are both in love with the same girl. Upon finding out about their competition with each other, they begin to transform into a series of ever-more outrageous monsters in order to defeat the other in battle . . . until they are finally stopped by an unexpected force! Using detailed, stylized work that pulls from First Nations influences, Cheng takes the reader on a timeless journey that is as perfect today as it would have been many hundreds of years ago. Check it out and let us know what you thought, and while you're at it, share with us your favorite fable or myth!