New Sparkplug T-shirt Design!

This design, by Sera Stanton, is available on a t-shirt as one of the rewards for our Fall Books Kickstarter!  Please check out our page and help put our next two books out!

Reich #1 exerpt - Part of our Fall Books Project

As part of our Fall Books Project, I'm going to be posting a couple pages from each issue of Reich.   Keep an eye on this blog for the next 11 days to catch more glimpses of Elijah Brubaker's thoughful biography of scientist Wilhelm Reich.  Click here to support the publication of the twelfth issue of this series - your support means the the completion of this wonderful series!

History of the Miizzzard, Part 2

In conjunction with our Fall Books Kickstarter, William Cardini has been detailing the history of Vortex's main character, the Miizzzard.  Check out the second installment!

The Weirder than Weird Origins of the Miizzzard

In conjunction with our Fall Books Kickstarter, William Cardini is detailing the bizarre and fascinating origin story of Vortex's main character, the Miizzzard on his blog.  Give it a read, you won't be disappointed!  Afterwards, be sure to hop on over to our Kickstarter page to help turn these comics into a beautiful graphic novel.

One last reminder - Sparkplug at SPX!

Yumi Sakugawa will be covering the Sparkplug table at SPX this weekend!  That's September 13th from 11am to 7pm and September 14th from 12pm to 6pm at the Marriot Bethesda North in Maryland!  Yumi will have a good selection of Sparkplug's titles, including our newest books The Anthropologists and Reich #11, as well as her own books such as the Ignatz-nominated Never Forgets.  Please stop by, say hi and pick up some great titles!
Aaaaaaaaand, don't forget to check out and share our Fall Books Kickstarter!  Our next two books need your help to get made - and you'll get awesome rewards for your donation!

Reich #12 pg 3 - a sneak peek in conjuction with our Kickstarter!

To help promote our Fall Books Kickstarter, we'll be putting up the first three pages of Reich #12 this week.  Please check them out and take a moment to get into the story.  Then consider contributing or sharing!  This book can only be published with your help.  To everyone who has already given or shared, thank you so much!  We really appreciate it.
If we can get the funds up to $3000 by Sunday, I will post page four on Monday, so if you've been waiting to contribute, now's the time to do so!

You can read page one here and page two here.  And you can check out the rest of the Reich series in our store!

Sparkplug Highlight: Keep Fresh by Zejian Shen

Keep Fresh by Zeijan Shen is one of many comics we brought in recently! This minicomic definitely keeps fresh itself - the inking is beautiful with dark halftones. Most of the text is in Chinese with English translations at the bottom. Following the story of a few characters, it progressively becomes unclear who is who, and whether the world all the characters live in is the same as ours. Perhaps it's a futuristic ultraviolent world where gore and death are everyday. Perhaps it's all the delusion of one character... Everything isn't as it seems, but something is definitely amiss in this Akira-like future. 

A violent biker kid, someone working in a take-out restaurant and a bunny man's lives are all centered around the violent deaths happening around the neighborhood. The kills seem random and caused by biker delinquents. But what else is going on? The TV ads are all full of body horror and nobody is phased. Keep Fresh is a puzzle I want to sort out over again after reading it a few times. 

Aside from having a twisting storyline, this comic also features a lot of great psychedelic effects and panels. The uneasiness of the plot is reflected stylistically with intense line weights and character design. Bodies are distorted and intriguing. Definitely a comic worth reading!!

(46 pages, black and white with color cover, 9" x 5.5", Retrofit Comics)

available for purchase here!

Reich #12 pg 2 - a sneak peek in conjuction with our Kickstarter!

To help promote our Fall Books Kickstarter, we'll be putting up the first three pages of Reich #12 this week.  Please check them out and take a moment to get into the story.  Then consider contributing or sharing!  This book can only be published with your help.  We're super close to $1500 - that's a quarter of the way to our goal, which is amazing!  To everyone who has already given or shared, thank you so much!  We really appreciate it.

You can read page one here.   And you can check out the rest of the Reich series in our store!

Sparkplug at SPX!

Are you stoked for SPX?  We're stoked for SPX!  We'll have a small but excellent selection of books at the expo this weekend.  I(Virginia) won't be there, but Ignatz-nominated artist Yumi Sakugawa will be covering the table for us.  Please stop by, say hi and pick up a Sparkplug book or one of Yumi's comics!
And another reminder - our Fall Books Kickstarter is going strong, with over $1000 already raised.  Let's keep it up!  Please consider giving to or sharing the campaign.  Your help is so important!

Reich #12 pg 1 - a sneak peek in conjuction with our Kickstarter!

To help promote our Fall Books Kickstarter, we'll be putting up the first three pages of Reich #12 this week.  Please check them out and take a moment to get into the story.  Then consider contributing or sharing!  This book can only be published with your help.  As I write this, we are very close to $1000 - that's about 15%!  To everyone who has already given or shared, thank you so much!  We really appreciate it.

Sparkplug Highlight: Danny Dutch by David King

An experimental comic featuring four-panel strips on each page, Danny Dutch is an existential run through the minds of a few sad saps. I really have no clue what the heck David King is talking about, because I don't have the same foolhardy power that dudes do. But I think that is mostly what these comics are about - a reflection on sensitive boys with foolhardy power. 

These friends (boys? men??) have a bunch of emotions. They can dress up like business people and look professional, but that doesn't mean they aren't totally sappy and bummed out and confused about why they're moved by certain things. They are confused by ladies. They don't know how to act out their violent aggressions. They are children in men's clothing! 

Featuring super-close-up gross out panels like 90s cartoons, David King definitely appreciates some light humor on top of his heavier existential thought. While it does always get dark, this comic is delightful and a good look at what David King can do in four panels. 

(28 interior pgs, 8″ x 8″, color cover with black and white interiors, Sparkplug Books)

available here!

The Kickstarter for our fall books has launched!

Our Kickstarter is live!  We're raising funds for our next two books, Reich #12 and Vortex.  Please check out the description and our awesome rewards!  We really need your help to make these next two books, so please donate and share!

LA Times interviews Elijah Brubaker!

David L. Ulin of the LA Times interviewed Reich creator Elijah Brubaker this week!

"Once I got it into my head to do a biography, Reich was right there, waiting for me. As I read his work more closely, and read everything I could find about him, he became an even better subject. He went from being some cool mad scientist who was unfairly jailed by an oppressive system to a real human being in my mind. Once that happened, it was pretty easy to get the writing started."

Read the full interview here. 

Sparkplug Highlights: Matter Summer Special by Philip Barrett

Matter Summer Special by Philip Barrett is a casual trip through a few different dimensions. Two goofball stoners, Whitey White and Sean Brown, find themselves running dry in the herb department. After speculating on government conspiracy theories involving marijuana, are pulled into one when they sign up to smoke some experimental weed. 

This particular strain, developed by a government worker who mysteriously disappeared, opens a rift in space-time into an empty dimension. Whitey is the first to dive into the rift chasing a babe, only to get lost. It's up to Sean to find him and bring him back. 

Full of laughs and alternating timelines, this comic is a good romp through some classic stoner humor. It also lacks traditional paneling and flows effortlessly from page to page for a slow, chill drift. Take some time to check it out; maybe you shouldn't be sober??

80 interior pgs, 4 ” x 6 “, black & white with color cover, Sparkplug Books)

available here!

Sparkplug Highlight: Windy Corner Magazine #3

Austin English curates another inspiring collection of work in Windy Corners Magazine #3. The table of contents by Molly Colleen O'Connell is especially eye-grabbing. Along with the opening pages by Lilli Carre, this issue begins with a host of small details to get lost in. 

The same could be said for English's Life of Francis book in this issue. Many layers of pattern and shape define English's comics, with large, stylized figures. English hit a good stride in these comics; working with thick black lines adds a moody feel to everything. While his work is usually sentimental and relatable, this issue seemed darker than the rest - perhaps it was the palette, but the subject matter too, seemed to have a gloom over it. 

In contrast to the previous darkness, Sakura Maku's comic contribution is bright and saturated. Maku's comic is intriguing in it's storytelling - there is a narrative going on, but many other layers beneath. Each panel could be happening in the present, or in the mind of one of the characters. It seems disjointed at first, but it all comes together into a tale as rich and with as much mystery at the page.

Jason T. Miles then interprets a letter from Jesse McManus to Windy Corner through a comic. Small figures fill each panel. There is not much variation in panel size or style, but it's compelling. A poem collaboration, really. Color and text repeat the poetic vibes~

Next, English reflects on the work of Garth Williams, an illustrator of many popular children's books. While familiar with Williams' work, I've never reflected on its kindness or entertained any enchantment with it. It's good to be reminded of artists that may have fallen by the wayside in childhood memories. The Stuart Little cover by Williams stands out in its motion and usage of line. 

Following that is Frank Santoro's appraisal of Garage Band by Italian cartoonist Gipi. The pages that Santoro uses as examples are stunning. I can hardly imagine what the rest of the book looks like because each combination of color and illusion of light is so perfect yet surprising. The story is captivating even when summarized - it's definitely a must read!

Finally, there is an interview with Carol Tyler by Vanessa Davis. Tyler is frank and welcoming in her conversational style, just as her comics are frank and welcoming into her life. It was a pleasure to read about her work and that she lives her life so honestly, not really concerned with offending those that she writes about, but making amends when necessary. 

This is the last issue of Windy Corners that Sparkplug has, and it was a good series of three magazines to read! There are so many artists to learn about in each issue.

(80 interior pgs, 6.5″ x 9″, color cover and interior, Sparkplug Books)

available here!

A Late Summer Check In

Hi all!  Hope you are having a good summer!
If you have tried to order books from our website during the last couple months, you may have encountered a glitchy shopping cart or an internal server error notification.  We have been having a lot of trouble getting the site to function and it's been a slow process getting it back to working order again.  Our old hosting platform did not support our Wordpress-based site, and I've spent a lot of time on hold this summer, trying to get things cancelled and moved over to our new hosting.  The fact that the domain name is still in Dylan's name has been causing some problems too; I'm waiting to hear from the original host if they will let me take over ownership of the name. 
Online sales are a good amount of our income and having the site out of commission for a lot of the summer has really impacted Sparkplug's budget.  The good news is we got the site moved to Laughing Squid hosting, who are great, and redid our theme so the site should be working well now.  We've still got a few tweaks to make, so please feel free to email me if you encounter any issues (virginia (at) sparkplugcomicbooks (dot) com).  If you've been waiting to order books from us, now would be a good time to do it - we could really use your support.  Thanks for your patience with this issue.
And yes - that is the cover for the final Reich book up there!  We've been gathering together the necessary components for our Kickstarter campaign for that book and for William Cardini's Vortex collection.  We'll make a big announcement in a couple weeks when the campaign goes live, so keep an eye out.  We're really excited about these two books and you should be too!

-Virginia

PS.  A HUGE thank you to our go-to guy for website issues, Milo George.  He has been a total champ and so responsive and helpful during this whole mess.  Hooray for Milo!

Sparkplug Highlight: Windy Corner Magazine #2

I must say that I'm incredibly impressed and endeared by this issue of Windy Corner Magazine. I read it in two sittings because I spent so much time slowly reading and paying attention. Often it's hard for me to take breaks from a book or comic, but there was a lot that I wanted to think about inbetween sections of the magazine. 

As with issue one, this issue starts out with a beautiful cover (drawings Austin English did based on Lois Lenski's work), as well as a thoughtful opening page featuring a comic by Mollie Goldstrom. While I pointed out in my highlight of issue one that I appreciated English featuring female artists, that feeling is much stronger in this issue. Goldstrom's feminist comic pulled me into the book immediately. 

The reader is introduced to so many artists in this book, most of them women. There is also an excellent interview of John Hankiewicz by Onsmith and a comic by Sparkplug's own Dylan Williams. 

I enjoyed Life of Francis by English. As an everyday life comic, it addresses issues of class and social awkwardness and what it's like to be an outcast due to these things. Francis struggles but remains firm in her love of her cozy home and family. Following three comics by English that are similar in content to those in the first issue, there is a comic by Fiona Logusch about human relationships. More than the subject matter, Logusch's layout stands out; the comic is fairly traditional in form, but the pages are photos of the actual paper on a desk. Along with the grunge of the actual page, this effect makes her comic flow not only within itself, but also with the rest of the book. 

Dylan's comic is soft in chalk or oil pastels. This reflection on his communication with Alex Toth over the years seems fuzzy and vague, like the lines of pastels and memories. I'm impressed that Dylan had such control over pastels (they seem horrid to work with...) and picked dreamy palettes for each panel. There is a lot of breathing room between panels, which is a good break from comics that are cluttered and rush you through. I think the comic also talks about communication this way; it's all snail mail - slow conversations with Alex Toth. 

Next up is English's article on artist and writer Lois Lenski. It is wonderful to be introduced to her work - the simple forms and confident lines that grace her books inspire me. Reflecting on simplicity and stylization is something that I think every artist does at one point; Lois Lenski had it down pat. Also in this section English takes note of artists like Wanda Gág, known for her book Millions of Cats. English takes time to remind the reader that the special thing about Lois Lenski is that her books were for children and had good values in them, but never attempted to be a moral lesson. Lenski communicated her ideas through clean storytelling without being manipulative. 

Last is the interview of John Hankiewicz. I was surprisingly engrossed in this conversation. Obviously Onsmith and Hankiewicz are friends and conversations between peers and friends are often the most interesting type. John has a lot to say about comics, the meta aspect of comics (when you draw a speech bubble of someone out of the panel talking; how you have no clue who it could be) and his process. I found this interview educational without any attempt to be so. There is a lot of information to be churned over here...

(72 interior pgs, 6.5″ x 9.5″, color cover with black and white interiors, Sparkplug Books)

available here!

Sparkplug Highlight: Windy Corner Magazine #1

Windy Corners is a series edited by Austin English. This issue features two ongoing comics by English, "Life of Francis" and "My Earliest Memory", as well as an interview with Portland cartoonist Andrice Arp. There are several beautiful paintings by Paula Salemme, an essay by Steve Lafler, and a comic by Richard Hahn. 

What is especially interesting about Windy Corners #1 is that English sticks to his aesthetic without being exclusionary. All the work is consistent and high quality; I'm especially grateful for the feature of two awesome female artists. The interview with Andrice Arp is great because English, as an artist, knows what questions to ask. Learning about an artist's influences, process, and personality is what I care about in an interview; Andrice delivers intricate, detailed answers.

Paula Salemme's paintings add a nice pause between text and image sections. Her densely-packed works are full of rich colors and textures that I don't usually see paired together. They work well side-by-side with comics by English, who also uses a variety of texture, experimenting with flatness and form. 

English leaves all edits (or perhaps they're intentional to add grit) on top of his comics, allowing for a messier look than traditional comics. Each page is immersive and full of color & text. Both of his comics seem autobiographical, despite one being about a young girl named Francis. Perhaps English is reflecting on childlike times and behavior by giving his work a looser look - either way, it works well and each page flows into the next despite the colors and sometimes appearance of characters constantly changing. 

Hahn's comic is also loose, moody, with black lines and an array of ever-changing shapes. The ten pages reflect on Saul Steinberg as an artist and do him justice with soft colors and overlapping lines. 

Overall, Windy Corners is a wonderful compilation of original works. Aside from the contents, the book is printed in deep colors and formatted - dare I say - adorably. The end pages to the full bleed is considered, and it's the little things that count!

(80 interior pgs, 6 1/2 ” x 9 1/2″, Full Color, Sparkplug Books) 

available here!

Rob Clough Reviews Hungry Summer!

Once again Rob Clough reviews a Sparkplug Mini! Hungry Summer by Asher Z Craw is one of our latest releases, and we are cheered by Rob's apt writing! Here is an excerpt: 

"Craw’s quasi-autobiographical comic, Zebediah, was an unpredictable, absorbing and ultimately humane fantasy account of how he came to understand his nature as a trans person. Hungry Summer covers some of the same territory with regard to gender and identity through magical realism, but this time the focus is entirely different. The main character of the comic is a bike-riding, shape-changing Baba Yaga, the Eastern European supernatural figure. Always an ambiguous figure, encounters with her often result in both good and ill."

You can read the whole review here!

Thank you, Rob!

Rob Clough Reviews Golem of Gabirol!

The ever-on point Rob Clough reviewed Olga Volozova's Golem of Gabirol! We are honored to have Rob take a look at our books. Here's an excerpt: 

" For Volozova herself (who dedicated the book to her late husband, who was also a rabbi), The Golem of Gabirol represents her own attempt to create life using text, in order to honor an old legend, to establish a memorial for her husband, and to construct a feminist narrative where she builds a creative space for herself and Zuleicha, word by word."

You can read the whole review at Foxing Quarterly, here!

 

Thank you so much, Rob!

Website Maintenance & a Hungry Summer review!

Hey all!  If you're trying to visit our site today or have tried to in the past couple days, you'll notice it isn't there or looks weird.  Milo, our wonderful web-go-to guy, has been doing some work and ironing out the kinks.  It should up and running and back to normal soon.  You can email me if you have any questions: virginia (at) sparkplugcomicbooks (dot) com.

Also, Rob Kirby has written a little review of Asher Craw's Hungry Summer for his blog.  Rob says: "(Hungry Summer) is wonderfully, weirdly original and totally engaging."  You can read the entire review here.

Sparkplug Books Will Be At Portland Zine Symposium!

 Hello all! We will be tabling at the Portland Zine Symposium this weekend (July 12&13) at table 37B! Come say hello and check out our new releases, as well as our wonderful selection of other books~

The event will be in Portland, Oregon at the Ambridge Event Center (1333 NE MLK BLVD) at 11am each day!

  

   

                            

Rob Clough Reviews The Anthropologists!

We are pleased to share Rob Clough's review of our most recent release: The Anthropologists by Whit Taylor! 

"The idea was to study and talk to Aboriginal people as part of their cultural anthropology program. Paired with a hyperenthusiastic fellow American student and filled with ambivalence about the trip, Wren’s anxiety is really just an expression of her own cultural, racial and identity issues in microcosm."

You can read the whole review at Foxing Quarterly, here. Thank you, Rob!

Sparkplug Highlight: The Sky In Stereo #1 & #2 by Mardou

Sky in Stereo follows protagonist Iris, a sweet girl living her life in Manchester during the 90s. While it seems to be built around the general theme of everyday life, these books are so well executed and relatable, I can't help but believe they must be partially autobiographical. Running alongside the coming-of-age feel is the topic of casual drug use. Cover your eyes, kiddos!!

Iris' life is rather unremarkable, but completely realistic and unapologetically honest. She works fast food, hates her step dad, likes jerk boys. You don't need to know a lot of the relationships between Iris and her peers, as you understand all the complicated feelings through Mardou's excellent character writing. The cuteness emanating off of Iris as she tries to figure stuff out is heartwarming, as well as all the intensely raw emotions expressed from panel to panel. The freedom and self-imprisonment of youth runs rampant though the pages as Iris reflects on each moment. 

Both Sky In Stereo #1 and #2 are available here!

Sparkplug Highlight: Rum Lad #4 by Steve Larder

When I was a young'n, my favorite zine was Cometbus. I read each issue with fervent punk pride, seeking new knowledge of bands, rad places to go and general silliness. Reading Rum Lad gave me a similar feeling - but I realized right after finishing it, that Steve Larder was the same age as me (24) when he wrote this. He also started making zines because he spent days reading punk journals and comics, and it shows through his interview with classic zinester Marv Gadgie. This entire issue revels in the spirit of traditional punk values, as well as nostalgia for being driven by them. 

In this issue, Steve attends a far-off zine festival in Germany and meets a lot of new people. While things don't always work out, he makes it home and wonders about the purpose of wandering off the beaten path in life and what it means to be afraid of embracing change. Alongside all these thoughts, there are very precise and detailed drawings of places and people Steve sees along the way.

Anyone who enjoys a traditional zine style with handwritten words, as well as black and white drawings should check out Rum Lad - it's a long and good read!

(36 interior pgs, 5.5" x 8.5 ", black and white)

You can visit Steve Larder's website here!

Rum Lad #4 is available here!

Sparkplug Highlight: Eschew Issue #1 and #2 by Robert Sergel

There really isn't anything quite like a beautiful black and white comic. Sergel's simple, completely structural linework makes the world uncanny, but also incredibly pleasing. Whether drawing parallels between events and concepts, or simply retelling an odd memory, Eschew gives me a sentimental feeling about my own awkwardness. The human and silly aspects of these comics make an interesting contrast to the highly technical art; the pages seem like an instruction manual from an airplane explaining how to bail out of the plane in case of emergency. 

While Eschew doesn't give us any explanation on how to cope, it shows us how one person does. Sergel's collection of embarrassing or simply synchronistic tales was a good read and left a lasting impression on me with his incredible use of simple black and white. Really, it has something interesting and relatable for anyone!

Eschew 1, 2 & 3 can be purchased here!

The Sparkplug Website! It Lives!

Our site is back up and running!  There are still a couple things that are a little wonky, but the shop is running and ready for your orders.  Thanks for your patience!

Sparkplug Highlight: Solipsist's Doodles by Jason Overby

Overby's sparse, scratchy drawings make me appreciate the title of this book. Since comics are typically so visually driven, it's not often that I find myself looking at almost blank pages. Instead, these comics are driven by text, cell size, and my ability to fill in what I'd like. Overby's drawing style carries the story well when it's present - an assortment of dots and lines move you forward from panel to panel, with almost complete figures. Each thought carries over into the next panel with nontraditional breaks, just as one gets lost in thought - in between thoughts - and has to come back to what was before. 

A small collection of stories, these autobiographical tales do more than focus on Overby's life - they engage the reader on topics like human honesty and contemplation of the universe. Even if you are a solipsist, there is kindness to allow yourself and others. Even in philosophical discussions, there is lightheartedness to be had. I found myself reading them over and over again, interpreting and reinterpreting conversations. 

Solipsist's Doodles can be purchased here!

Sparkplug at CAKE - TOMORROW!

Hey all!  Sparkplug will be set up at CAKE at table 65 THIS weekend (May 31st and June 1st)!  We'll be debuting The Anthropologists by Whit Taylor.  About The Anthropologists:

 The Anthropologists follows the author’s trip to Australia and subsequent reevaluation of her chosen field of study. Taylor’s expressive line work and analysis of the strange intersection of self as a person of color, a tourist and a scholar of Aboriginal culture make for an engrossing, thought-provoking read.The Anthropologists is the second book in the Sparkplug Minis Series, a collection of limited-edition minicomics by fantastic underground artists.

We'll have free copies of Barrio Mothers as well and of course - postcards!

Sparkplug Highlight: Thyme Balm Live $3 and Karate Gods by James Kirkpatrick

James Kirkpatrick's complicated but confident drawings fill each page of these two comics. His humor is superb and on-point, just as his artistic voice allows your mind to wander. Features of the characters are individual but also ambiguous. Each page holds a new joke. Both of the stories lend themselves to Kirkpatrick's hypnotic style and one-liner humor. 

Thyme Balm, the "worst"nose band, holds several members of questionable value. But in the end, the show ends up pretty good! You feel the complicated feelings of attending a show that you're determined to dislike.. but end up feeling the jams. Hey, you're a complicated being! It's ok!

Karate Gods follows the battle between many mortal foes and you. Will you be victorious against such brutal fighters with names like Sporty Spice or Frozen Lord? Much like a fighting game crew, these toughies seem like stoic jerks. I hope you win.

Both of these comics are available here!

Next Weekend: CAKE!

Hey all!  Sparkplug will be set up at CAKE at table 65 next weekend (May 31st and June 1st)!  We'll be debuting The Anthropologists by Whit Taylor.  About The Anthropologists:

 The Anthropologists follows the author’s trip to Australia and subsequent reevaluation of her chosen field of study. Taylor’s expressive line work and analysis of the strange intersection of self as a person of color, a tourist and a scholar of Aboriginal culture make for an engrossing, thought-provoking read.The Anthropologists is the second book in the Sparkplug Minis Series, a collection of limited-edition minicomics by fantastic underground artists.

We'll have free copies of Barrio Mothers as well and of course - postcards! 

Store is FIXED!

HOORAY! The shop is back up and running! AND you can still preorder The Anthropologists, our new book by Whit Taylor!

Online Shop (temporarily) Down!

So it looks like our online shop is down and may have been down for a while! Sorry about this, folks! We are looking into getting it up and running again. If you have tried to order or need to order, please send me an email: virginia (at) sparkplugcomicbooks (.) com.

Thanks for your patience!

Sparkplug Highlight: In Situ #2 by Sophie Yanow

I noticed that In Situ No. 4 was released recently, and wanted to recommend this series! After reading In Situ No. 2, I felt refreshed and more confident - Sophie keeps her journal comics relevant not only to herself, but also to all people - the feeling transience, or being caught up on something you saw in passing. The loosely drawn pages show great ease on Sophie's part, but she also scribbles out mistakes that add some nice texture to the pages. A travel log through Canada and California, In Situ No. 2 also is a log of trailing thoughts - some political, all honest. I'm excited to read further issues!

Aside from the content, this book is beautifully designed! When I grabbed it off the shelf I exclaimed "wow"!! It's just not often that you see a simple black and white with color cover zine so carefully laid out.

(28 interior pages, 5.5" x 8.5", black & white with colored paper half-cover, Colosse) 

In Situ No. 2 is available for purchase here

Sparkplug Highlight: Rock That Never Sleeps by Olga Volozova & Juliacks

 Rock that Never Sleeps is a split book between two awesome lady artists! First in the book, Olga Volozova establishes the tale with her many-layered comic style and creates a new myth revolving around memory. People around town begin to lose their skill of recollection, including a family of solely women, the Katchia family. Regarded as frightening and witchlike due to their tightly kept secret craft of puppet making, the Katchias are held in even higher fear than before as they too begin to lose memory of their spells, and thus their livelihood. 

Determined to regain their craft, three members of the family travel through the desert to Rock That Never Sleeps, a town where sages guide those whose memories are lost to items that may help them recover. There is always a catch though - if you regain your memory, you lose something else. 

Juliacks' story exists in the same space as Olga Volozova's, but in a different time. Far into the future, three people travel once again to Rock That Never Sleeps in order to regain what they've lost. In Juliacks' future, there are sages all around who can see the memories of objects through their psychic birthmarks. Tragedy befalls the future in this tale as you are guided along through dense pages of psychic discordance. You become lost among the memories of objects just like your three protagonists!

This book is a rad exploration of the concept of objects and what impact they have on the human psyche. What relations you have with things. Also the value of memory; how important is it for humans to have and rely on such a liquid aspect of themselves. 

(36 interior pgs, 9" x 6", color cover with black and white and sepia interiors)

Rock That Never Sleeps is available here!

The Anthropologists is available for pre-order!

I'm so stoked about our next book, The Anthropologists!  Taylor does a great job portraying travel: the awkwardness, the self-analysis, the uncomfortable cultural implications.  Her art work is deceptively simple; she is a master of capturing the nuances of expression and her landscape drawings do a great job capturing the expanse of the Australian desert.
The Anthropologists is up for pre-order in the Sparkplug store now!  Pre-orders will ship the first week of June and come with a surprise book from the Sparkplug catalog.

Here are a couple preview pages from the story:

New In the Shop! Barrio Mothers & TEMI #1!

Good morning, all! Two new books are up in the shop today- first off, you can order the incredibly cool and incredibly free-except-for-shipping Barrio Mothers Free Comic Book Day comic if you missed it in stores! With such a lovely cover and good local Portland artists, there really is no resisting such a fabulous deal~

Next up is TEMI #1 by Sera Stanton! This book is the first in an ongoing series that explores the hero myth from a new perspective - that of a lunar female hero. Follow Temi through densely illustrated pages as she is bullied, riddled with nightmares and generally has a bad time until she is cast out of her community to face the world on her own. She can tough it out!

Enjoy the sun while you can, Portland! Have a rad day!

Sparkplug Highlight: Long Legs by Julianna Green!

Long Legs is the first book in a series. What really strikes me about Julianna Green's comic style is it's density. Each page is filled with rich blacks and linework. Each character is designed to grab your attention. My eyes scan over the craft of every panel before I allow myself to read the text.

Aside from the art, the magic and imagination put into the character design and story is refreshing. The events in the story, from hypnotism to the rescue of tiny beasts, is taken first hand without explanation - clearly I've been plunged into a world of mystery and sorcery. Mystical objects and beings are commonplace in this world. 

Despite the urgency of the tale, it also has a casual tone of everyday friendship. The main characters seem to act as if their daily life is full of tricks and charms. This is an awesome introduction to a much larger story. I want to continue to travel through the world of Long Legs and I can't wait for the next issue!

20 interior pages, 4.25” x 5.5, black and white on lavender paper

Long Legs is available for purchase here!

Free Comic Book Day!

Tomorrow is everyone's favorite holiday: Free Comic Book Day!  This year Sparkplug teamed up with Portland publishers Floating World Comics, Snakebomb Comix and Teenage Dinosaur to bring you BARRIO MOTHERS!  With art and stories by Souther Salazar, Nick Norman, Josh Juresko, Sophie Franz, Karissa Sakumoto, Asher Z. Craw, Wally Catton, Andrew Scully and Cameron Hawker, Barrio Mothers is pure delight for zero dollars.  Head to local comic shop tomorrow to pick up your copy!

If you are in an area where Barrio Mothers is not available, don't worry!  Sparkplug will be adding it to our online store next week for the reasonable price of one penny (plus shipping).

In other news, things are chugging along for our next book, The Anthropologists by Whit Taylor.  It should be ready for CAKE at the end of the month!